Chef Simpson Wong On: Lunar New Year Feasts & Fêtes

There are plenty of Asian superstitions — even when it comes to the dinner table. Just ask chef Simpson Wong of downtown hot spot Wong New York (you haven’t lived unless you’ve tried his Roast Duck Ice Cream). He explains why, growing up in Malaysia, the Lunar New Year feast hinged on homophones — shrimp, for instance, because the Chinese word for it sounds like laughter. Here, Simpson also shares other ways to ensure happiness and prosperity, as well as his special LNY menu.

Susie Cox On: The Year of the Horse

Before we celebrate the Lunar New Year tomorrow, we checked in with astrology expert Susie Cox to see what 2014, under the Chinese zodiac, brings. Above, to ring in this year of the horse, a photo of Tory horseback riding as a child.

Top 10: Best Indoor Pools

A seasonal dip in temperature doesn’t mean you have to forgo a dip in the pool. From Marrakech to Milan, Tokyo to Chicago, here are 10 indoor locations that inspire reverie and relaxation just as much as any sunny summer plunge.

Above: the pool at Paris’ Shangri-La Hotel

Resort 2014: Inspiration

Plan a far-flung getaway — or just do a little sunny day-dreaming with us. Moroccan touches, beachy blues and crisp whites were a starting point for our Resort 2014 collection. Discover some of the other inspirations above and on our Pinterest board; to shop the collection, click here.

Word of Mouth: From Elizabeth Street to…

It’s a big day around here. In collaboration with Bank of America, the Tory Burch Foundation announced a new initiative: Elizabeth Street Capital, which provides early-stage women entrepreneurs with access to low-cost loans, mentoring and networking opportunities. It’s kicking off in six cities — Boston, Charlotte, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco — and will expand to others in the next two years. The goal: to help women build and grow their businesses, creating strong communities of women entrepreneurs along the way. We can make a difference. As for the name, it’s a fitting reference to the location of Tory’s very first boutique — the launching pad for our whole company today.

Learn more about the program.

Playwright Sandi Farkas On: The Theater Scene

Sandi Farkas is both patron and artist. Not only is she a playwright herself, but she’s Founder of PoNY (Playwrights of New York), a nonprofit that offers emerging playwrights financial and artistic support, from rent and a stipend to help locating theaters and resources for their plays. Here, wearing Tory’s Chrissy dress, Sandi gives us her insider view into the theater scene — including the five essential steps to becoming a playwright.

Beauty Spotlight: InStyle’s Amy Synnott

You saw her this morning on The Today Show, sharing shopping advice on pulling off winter whites. Now, get InStyle Executive Editor Amy Synnott’s tips on best beauty practices — including the perfect remedy for puffy eyes. Plus, read all about her favorite apps and must-visit websites, and learn her three essential wardrobe rules.

Book of the Week: Peter Beard’s Into the Wild

As Peter Beard celebrates his birthday today, why not lose yourself in his legacy with the newly reissued Into the Wild, which chronicles his romance with Kenya — all 706 pages worth? The book documents both the African wilderness and a man’s fascination with it, transforming already powerful scenes through the photographer’s signature mixed-media manipulation and collage work. The result is both commanding and electrifying: breathtaking (and at times shocking) photographs mixed in with diary entries, ephemera and newspaper clippings, plus a shot of high glamour with appearances by Veruschka, Mick Jagger, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Andy Warhol…

(c) Peter Beard all rights reserved, courtesy of the Peter Beard Studio

10 Minutes with an Entrepreneur: Mark Wystrach

After surfing polluted waters in Bali, actor and musician Mark Wystrach was motivated to start The People’s Movement (a.k.a. MOVMT) in 2011 with co-founders Kevin Flanagan and Chris Swortwood. The Los Angeles-based brand turns plastic bags cleaned up from Bali into shoes and accessories, with a portion of proceeds preventing further plastic pollution worldwide. Here, we chat with Mark about his mission, his music and why he likes traveling to Mexico.

Most Wanted: Valentine’s Day Gifts

Gifts that come straight from the heart are the best kind, and our Valentine’s Day accessories show no ordinary love. Featuring vibrant, hand-drawn hearts inspired by Mexican milagritos and folk art, these are special pieces that you — or the ones you love — will adore.

Shop all Valentine’s Day Gifts.

L.A. Entrepreneurs: A+R’s Rose Apodaca & Andy Griffith

Between the two of them, editors Rose Apodaca and Andy Griffith have interviewed a constellation of bold-faced names in their separate careers, from Donatella Versace and Dennis Hopper to celebrated chef Suzanne Goin. But together they’re the brains behind one of our favorite design stores in Los Angeles: the beautifully (and coolly) curated A+R. As part of our spotlight on the sunny city, we spoke with Andy and Rose — here wearing Tory’s Carolina dress — about first jobs, L.A. design talent and what it takes to start, and maintain, your own business.

Wired’s Mark McClusky On: CES 2014

While the Hollywood set’s been abuzz about the Golden Globes and we’ve been celebrating our Rodeo Drive Collection and film, the tech industry’s been having a moment of its own: the recent Consumer Electronics Show, which took place last week. Here, Wired’s Mark McClusky gives us the inside scoop on all the news and new gadgets you need to know…

Look We Love: Poolside Chic

Take it easy — and make it easy. Head straight from chaise lounge to lunch (or poolside cocktail hour at the Chateau Marmont, if you prefer) in Tory’s Soraya tunic — it’s incredibly chic in an undone, bohemian sort of way. Plus, it looks equally good off the beach as on. Just add sandals.

Shop the Look.

Recipes: Chateau Marmont Cocktails

As the sun goes down over the Hollywood sign and the twinkling lights come on in the houses that cover the Canyon, there’s perhaps no spot more alluring at cocktail hour than the Chateau Marmont. Hidden up in the Hills, this haven of retro glamour and quiet calm is the perfect escape and the ultimate antidote to a crazy day in L.A. Here, the hotel’s bartender shares the secret recipes for a few cocktails that harken back to the days when Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo were regulars, and you might just spot James Dean unwinding after a day on set…

Rodeo Drive: Opening Party

What a bash! We celebrated our new store on Rodeo Drive with an opening party this week. Head on over to InStyle’s coverage here to see all the pictures — not to mention the people and the fashion.

Book of the Week: Anthony Hernandez’s Rodeo Drive, 1984

Rodeo Drive, host to our newest flagship, has had its memorable moments on film: when a certain Pretty Woman went on a shopping spree, for instance. For a lesser-known — but equally unforgettable — portrait of the iconic Beverly Hills stretch, we take a flashback to three decades ago. Photographer and Vietnam war vet Anthony Hernandez was inspired to take his first ever color images by the bustling everyday scene. The result? MACK’s Rodeo Drive, 1984 book, a 41-shot series documenting shoppers in the heady excess of 1984 — daydreaming, unaware or caught mid-conversation.

Tory’s City Guide: Los Angeles

Last night, we celebrated our flagship in one of the world’s shopping meccas: Rodeo Drive. Make a pilgrimage to check out our new Beverly Hills home — which features an open terrace and a fantastic fretwork front. Then, while you’re in the neighborhood, head on over to another one of L.A.’s famous drags — Sunset Boulevard — for a chopped salad by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Take a peek in our Los Angeles travel guide for more sunny-city stopping points, and scope out our L.A. issue here on The Tory Blog for can’t-miss spots from local tastemakers.

Go to Tory’s Los Angeles City Guide here.

Film: The Rodeo Collection by Lisa Eisner

There are two stars in Lisa Eisner’s new film, above. The first: Tory’s Rodeo Collection, inspired by the beauty of Southern California. The second? Lotusland, a fantastical garden hideaway tucked away in Montecito. They complement one another perfectly — each an escape to something glamorous and elegant. But together here, set to the tune of Julia Holter’s dreamy My Baby, they create a world and gorgeous reverie of their own where, as Lisa puts it, “magic happens.”

Shop the collection.