American Express & Tory Burch Brought the Runway to Chicago

It just keeps getting better for American Express Cardmembers.

On November 16th, American Express partnered with designer Tory Burch and brought a New York City style runway show to Chicago's Field Museum. The invite-only crowd enjoyed a one-hour cocktail reception while checking out a presentation of Tory Burch Resort 2011 collection. After, guests took their seats to view a formal runway show of Tory's Spring 2012 collection. When we found out this was the only other time Burch has showcased a collection in this format outside of New York Fashion Week, we were feeling pretty great to be a Chicagoan. The spring line was inspired by Deauville, circa 1920 and we saw everything from shorts suits in mixed patterns and color to long, flowy chiffon dresses. Immediately following the show, Tory Burch and InStyle Magazine Fashion Director Hal Rubenstein came on stage to discuss inspiration behind the collection, giving us an inside look into the fashion world and a peek inside the brand. Burch said, "The inspiration is the easy part. I think inspiration comes from everywhere and I'm always fascinated by the way music, fashion and art are constantly playing off of each other. Inspiration could be in the bottom of a basket, a wall in Morocco or an old photo of my mom and dad. It's how you turn that into a collection, that's the challenging part". It was definitely a night we won't soon forget. -Melissa Maynard