How Tory Burch Built a Fashion Empire | PLUS Anok Yai is British Vogue’s Cover Star
5/14/20261 hr 1 min
In a lively Saturday morning conversation at the Vogue Café in SoHo, designer and founder Tory Burch sat down with Nicole Phelps for a live recording of The Run-Through.
Burch shared stories of her extraordinary rise from a single storefront on Elizabeth Street in Nolita to 400 stores worldwide. She spoke candidly about navigating a very public divorce, the 2008 financial crisis, and the devastating toll of the pandemic, including losing a longtime colleague to COVID.
Burch also spoke about the Tory Burch Foundation, which she launched in 2009 to support women entrepreneurs through mentorship, community, and access to capital – a mission she said was central to her reason for starting the company in the first place.
For young people hoping to break into fashion, she borrowed advice she got from her parents: "Negativity is noise."
Plus: Anok Yai is British Vogue’s cover star!
The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsChioma Nnadi· Host0:01
[upbeat music] This is a run through. I'm Chioma Nnadi, and today Chloe's away in LA for the Dior show at LACMA. She sent us a very fun voice note that we'll share later. But now I'm in the London studio with my colleagues, Radhika Seth and Laura Ingam. Can you guys introduce yourselves to our wonderful listeners, please?
Radhika Seth· Panelist0:24
Yes. Hi, I'm Radhika, the film and culture editor of British Vogue.
Laura Ingam· Panelist0:28
And hi, I'm Laura Ingam, the deputy director of the Global Fashion Network.
Chioma Nnadi· Host0:33
Well, you guys are pretty much regulars, but I thought it would be good to reintroduce yourselves. Um, on today's episode, our co-host, Nicole Phelps, is speaking to the fabulous Tory Burch for a live taping at the Vogue Cafe in New York ahead of the Met Gala. They talked about her career, her inspirations, the flats that she dressed Anderson .Paak in for the Met, and also gave advice to aspiring fashion designers. So stick around to hear that fabulous conversation. But first, our June cover is out, and it is of the beautiful Anok Yai, and I'm just so excited about it. Every time I look at it, I just think about how beautiful it is. It was styled by Kate Phelan and photographed by Rafael Pavarotti, and our dear Fumi Feto, our beauty and wellness director, did the interview, and it's quite an emotional read. It's quite an emotional story. I really wanted her mother and father to be part of