Angelica Cheung (Editor-in-Chief, Vogue China)

 ‘A red dress my mother made for me when I was a teenager. I haven’t worn it in over 20 years, but I will always keep it.’

Tory Burch (Designer, New York Fashion Week)

 ‘A sunflower pendant my father had made for his mother.’

Sarah Rutson (Vice President, Global Buying at Net-a-Porter)

‘It’s a family signet ring, a very large signet ring which was unusual for a woman, it comes from about 1720, so it was a great great great great grandmother, and she was a very bold dresser’

Anna Dello Russo (creative consultant, Vogue Japan)

‘I collect clothes…it’s not about this piece, another piece…all of them are a treasury. It’s an entire collection…’

Mary Katrantzou (Designer, London fashion week)

‘I’d say my Alaia dress. It has really intricate embroidery in it, and comes out for very very special events. I only wore it to see the Queen and to the British Fashion Awards. And a pair of Miu Miu earring’

Jenna Lyons (Creative Director and President, J Crew)

‘My ten-year-old Okura jeans’

Aerin Lauder (Senior Vice President and Creative Director, Estee Lauder)

‘My Tiffany gold wedding band’

Photo courtesy of businessoffashion.com, Noah Griffel, Vogue

The dinner that followed the store event was the most surreal and glamorous interpretation of “New York to Shanghai” imaginable,  as elements from Tory’s apartment and Southampton NY house were recreated  on the roof of Shanghai’s Peninsula Hotel. The large windows overlooked spectacular Manhattan views of Central Park,  and dinner was  catered by Fat Radish with a performance by Lil Buck. Best of all New York imports were the other friends who flew in to  celebrate with Tory, and to toast the best of both worlds.

As a designer we really admire, Tory Burch is a woman whose style tips have come in handy many a time when it comes to choosing anything from a bikini to a black tie outfit. Known for applying her same signature and extremely sleek aesthetic to our wardrobes for quite some years, she has now turned her hand to homewares, creating a collection of home accessories inspired by some of her favourite things she has picked up around the world over the years as well by her family home she grew up in. The results are, as one would expect, chic, sleek and just a little bit retro. Here, she gives her top tips on how to approach accessorising your home. 

• When decorating or setting a table, I love mixing colors and patterns or using different shades of a single color. The combination is casual but elegant.

• Pillows are an easy way to introduce color, texture or a graphic element to a room. They can also warm up any space and I love pillows that have humorous sayings—there is usually a great story! 

• Interesting objects give a room dimension and can be wonderful conversation starters when you’re entertaining. I love finding unique pieces from wherever I travel. 

• I like to use interesting pieces that bring together form and function—from my Imari vases or handpainted Italian pottery to a unique bar set and coasters.

• I have many framed photographs of my friends and family at home. The pictures remind me of the good times we’ve shared or of how much my boys have grown over the years.

• Coffee table books are a great addition to a living room. I stack groups of them on a wide range of subjects—our guests are always entertained.

Tory Burch Hong Kong Boutiques:

Times Square

3rd Floor, 1 Matheson Street

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Hong Kong

+ 852 3421 1229

IFC mall

2nd Floor, 8 Finance Street

Central, Hong Kong Hong Kong

+852 2234 7282

Harbour City

Ocean Centre, 3-27 Canton Road

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Hong Kong

+852 3755 4042 

1. Lemon Yellow:  In perhaps the easiest iteration of citrus, lemon yellow as seen at Diane von Furstenberg manages to be bright and pretty all at the same time. Go for minimal, clean shapes, avoid anything fussy and pair with sleek metallic accessories to keep it looking sophisticated. Pictures: Catwalk Diane von Furstenberg SS13, Victoria Victoria Beckham grey trim dress, J Crew Shantung Silk dress, Stella McCartney silk fringed dress, by Malene Birger leather skirt, white Frame denim jeans and lemon yellow Roland Mouret top all from www.net-a-porter.com. Necklace from www.topshop.com, metalic shoes by Gianvito Rossi at www.matchesfashion.com and Kotur embossed Morley in croc available here.

2. Tangerine Dream: As shown by Carolina Herrera, there is nothing that needn’t be sophisticated about orange, you just have to pick you hue and shape carefully. Stick to romantic, feminine silhouettes with a touch of embellishment, think burnt rather than bright orange, and work in heavy gold accessories for a decadent, glamorous take on dressing that’s perfect for summer nights. Pictures: Catwalk SS13 Carolina Herrera, white blouse by Equipment, asymmetric Michael Kors pleated skirt, Missoni maxi dress, strapless McQueen jersey jumpsuit and embellished orange Isabel Marant mini skirt all from www.net-a-porter.com, gold sandals from www.jcrew.com, gold bangle and necklace from www.topshop.com and Kotur Margo in flourescent sequin Coral available here.

3. Tutti Frutti: For the whole shebang, work a citrus flavoured print to give a look that just screams summer. Soft cotton shapes (as seen at Tory Burch) work well with crisp cotton tees and natural accessories for a look that’s relaxed and incredibly chic. Pictures: Catwalk Tory Burch SS13, floral mid length dress by Bottega Veneta and Castaner wedges from www.matchesfashion.com, Suno cutout printed sun dress, Dolce and Gabanna lemon printed pants, Prabal Gurung printed pencil skirt and Altuzzara orange printed skirt all from www.net-a-porter.com, Ashley Pittman bangles from www.stanleykorshak.com, T shirt by Alexander Wang and Kotur Morley in raffia available here.

1. KOTUR for Operation Smile

This year, we teamed up with Gillian and Lydia Hearst to support Operation Smile, a charity that they are ambassadors for and I’m of the board of in Hong Kong, and that provides free surgeries to repair cleft palates, cleft lips and facial deformities for children around the globe. Our own ‘Smile’ minaudiere comes gold plated with a faceted crystal clasp and our signature brocade lining. 100% of the net proceeds for it go directly to Operation Smile. This is fashion that definitely feels good.

Kotur Smile bag, $395 from www.koturltd.com

2. Warby Parker Glasses

“Buy a pair, give a pair”

Set up by four friends, named after Jack Kerouac characters and founded on the simple ‘buy a pair, give a pair,’ principle, Warby Parker’s collection of retro inspired, effortlessly cool eyewear is where to place your smart sunglass money. Both regular eyewear and sunglasses come in easy shapes, logo free, and with the added benefit of knowing that, when you purchase your pair, someone else out there in the world who probably needs them more gets the bonus of a pair of glasses, too.

www.warbyparker.com

3. CFDA & VOGUE online auction for Sandy Relief

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, forces all over the world have mobilized to help support the relief effort. Should you wish to contribute, Vogue and the CFDA have come up with a pretty enticing way to do so. In an online auction just launched at charitybuzz.com, they have called on their friends to offer amazing prizes, all of which of you can bid on in the knowledge that the total proceeds will to go Hurricane Sandy’s relief efforts. Tickets to the 2013 Met Gala, shopping sprees with Tory Burch and Michael Kors, a year’s supply of bags from Net-a-porter, a Bruce Weber print and a week in Tommy Hilfiger’s villa in Mustique barely scratch the surface of what’s on offer here in one of the most compelling arguments we’ve ever seen to get involved and get giving.

www.charitybuzz.com

As we embark on summer, we thought we’d highlight three Kotur Muses for you, three women who, when it comes to living life, know a thing or two about doing it with grace, style and a heavy dose of brilliant individuality as shown in our picks from their summer collections in the gallery above.  Stay tuned for more Muses throughout the summer months, but for now we will leave you with Tory Burch, Aerin Lauder and Jenna Lyons: true beacons of style, and women who do it all their very own way, and rather brilliantly. We hope you find as much inspiration both clicking through our current picks from their collections and reading their Kotur Muse questions as we do.

Read all of our Kotur Muses here

Pictures: Jenna Lyons, plus J Crew’s Looks we Love for summer available at www.jcrew.com

Aerin Lauder, small cream jewellery box $790 and Ram’s Murex Shell $340 both available here http://www.aerin.com/Objet/8,default,sc.html

Tory Burch and her Walton Pant and matching Tory tunic, plus her classic grosgrain fedora available at www.toryburch.com

While most people know Tory Burch as one of modern America’s fashion icons, she has been one of closest friends since we were in our 20s. I’ve chosen her as one of my muses because ever since we met I have been an admirer of her loyalty and innate ability to balance it all (she has more kids than I do and still runs an empire!)

She has typical Gemini characteristics that show her many sides – as feminine as she is, she can be extremely bold; as refined as she is, she can also be totally adventurous. Plus she is incredibly fun.

What I love most about her is that there is so much more to her than meets the eye, in so many wonderful ways. In our many years of friendship she is someone who constantly surprises me. She is a person who has no limitations – she can do it and does do it.

KOTUR: What’s in your make-up bag?
TORY: YSL mascara, By Terry Baume de Rose, Armani bronzer, Bobbi Brown concealer.

KOTUR: Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
TORY: A gold minaudiere.

KOTUR: Name your desert island essentials?
TORY: iPod, sunscreen, and margaritas.

KOTUR: Do you have a beauty secret?
TORY: As much water and moisturizer as possible.

KOTUR: How would your female friends describe your style?
TORY: Creative, classic, eclectic.

KOTUR: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
TORY: A sunflower pendant my father had made for his mother.

KOTUR: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
TORY: My high school clogs.

KOTUR: Hot date night with your boyfriend – what do you wear?
TORY: A black dress and stilettos.

KOTUR: When home alone, what do you wear?
TORY: Jeans, flats and a chunky knit sweater.

KOTUR: What do you wear to bed?
TORY: A worn in T-shirt or flannel pajamas — not very sexy.

KOTUR: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
TORY: Fake nails.

KOTUR: How old is too old for a mini?
TORY: Used to be 35, now I changed it to 40.

KOTUR: How high is too high a heel?
TORY: No such thing.

KOTUR: If you could live in any other time for its fashion, what would you choose?
TORY: The 40s or 70s. The sportswear from these eras is the epitome of casual, sophisticated chic.

KOTUR: What is your most recent purchase?
TORY: A Celine coat.

KOTUR: What’s your greatest extravagance?
TORY: Massages.

KOTUR: What are your guilty pleasures?
TORY: Butterscotch ice cream.

KOTUR: What are your bad habits?
TORY: Not getting enough sleep.

KOTUR: Do you have a cheap thrill?
TORY: Gummy bears.

KOTUR: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
TORY: To treat everyone the same and always be appreciative.

KOTUR: What’s your favorite smell?
TORY: Tuberose.

KOTUR: Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
TORY: Edith Wharton.

KOTUR: What would you eat for your last supper?
TORY: A huge Italian feast.

KOTUR: If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
TORY: Cleopatra.

KOTUR: Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
TORY: When needed.

KOTUR: What part of your body would you like to change?
TORY: I’d like to be six feet tall. Ok maybe not six feet. Five eleven.

KOTUR: What would you like to achieve before you die?
TORY: I’d like to build an enormous charitable foundation.

KOTUR: Do you have a favorite Kotur bag?
TORY: The Large Collins minaudiere. I love the Art Deco feel.

KOTUR: On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
TORY: Ask my mother.