Tory Burch

About Tory Burch

Tory Burch (born, June 15, 1966, née Robinson) is an Amercan fashion designer, socialite, businessperson, and celebrity who was born, raised and educated in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is described as having Main Line roots. With the financial savvy of her former second husband she began a fashion label in February 2004 in New York City. The label was an immediate success and was even endorsed by Oprah Winfrey the following year. The label has opened stores in several large American cities and has lines that are sold in several upscale specialty department stores.

Born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Burch was raised with her three brothers (Robert, James and Leonard) in a Valley Forge farmhouse where her mother, Reva Robinson, still lived in 2008. The house is a 250-year old Georgian near the Valley Forge National Historical Park. The house sat on a 30-acre (121,406 m2) lot that has been reduced to 15 acres (60,703 m2) more recently. Her mother is a former actress who dated Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner. Her father, Buddy Robinson, who was a wealthy investor and who was still living in early 2007, is deceased. Her father inherited a stock exchange seat and a paper cup company, but sold the company, and he dated Grace Kelly and Joan Bennett. Tory's father was fourteen years older than her mother.

Tory served as captain of the tennis team and rode horses at Agnes Irwin School. Tory attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in art history. She was raised in a house with a family of live-in housekeepers. She is from a Jewish family, but her family celebrated Christmas and Easter.