Tory Burch on her new Sublime fragrance and Kendall Jenner

Tory Burch’s latest fragrance, Sublime, performs a delicate dance between strength and sensuality. Brand founder Tory Burch talks to Haley Sengsavanh about the personal story behind the intriguing scent and why Kendall Jenner was the perfect face for its campaign 

Confident, bold, sensual. These are just some of the adjectives Tory Burch, founder of the eponymous luxury label, would use to describe her latest fragrance launch. Sublime is representative of how Burch views women and their needs in the modern era; wanting to balance strength with sensuality. The name itself is one of Burch’s favourite words because it encompasses “the ultimate way you want to feel”, which is precisely what she aimed to achieve with the intriguing blend of leather, earthy vetiver and patchouli layered beneath delicate notes of rose, magnolia and osmanthus flower, and combined with unique hints of mandarin and ivy.

Many of the brand’s fragrances for women are inspired by Burch’s personal experiences. For instance, the Essence of Dreams collection drew from the tranquillity she feels when tending to her garden. Burch is a strong believer that fragrance can be powerful in creating associations with cherished people and places, and Sublime’s particular blend of scents definitely holds sentimental meaning. 

“When I was at our home in Antigua, I found this vintage leather handbag in my mother’s closet,” she recalls. “The scent was intoxicating, and I thought it was a great starting point for this fragrance. I wanted to create tension with the addition of unexpected notes: osmanthus, vetiver, rose, a slight touch of mandarin.” 

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In making the blend Burch collaborated with Givaudan master perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, perfumer Christine Hassan and Shiseido. “Working on Sublime was an extremely detailed and thorough process,” she explains. “I wanted the fragrance to be very different – something that isn’t traditionally ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’. We met every week for two years and went through countless iterations until we got it just right.” 

If anyone could bring Burch’s vision to life, it would be this dream team. Hassan attended the prestigious ISIPCA post-graduate school in Versailles, and has worked at top perfume houses developing beautiful fragrances. Flores-Roux also attended ISIPCA, interned with the famed French perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, and has even been inducted in the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame. 

“I had worked with Christine on our Essence of Dreams fragrances, and Rodrigo is known for his leather scents,” Burch says. “Seeing their collaboration was extraordinary.” Burch was also excited to work with Kendall Jenner, who is the face of Sublime’s global campaign. The two met on a shoot in 2016 – after which Burch was “intrigued” by Jenner – and discovered they had a lot of shared values surrounding family,
work ethic, and a love of animals and sports. 

“I love what Tory does and what she stands for. I want to align with designers who feel genuinely right to me, and this felt natural and organic,” Jenner says. The feeling is definitely mutual, with Burch adding, “Kendall has a quiet power. She is fearless, she is an entrepreneur, and she truly represents confidence, sensuality and strength.” 

Be Good Studios is credited with creating the campaign concept, and Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggott were the photographers. In the campaign video, Jenner is seen posing in a red bra (which perfectly matches her lipstick) and lounging in a mesh dress, while London artist Bakar croons his version of Edwyn Collins’ 1994 song “A Girl Like You” in the background. The final campaign image is Jenner holding up and gently resting her face against a sculpture of the Sublime bottle. 

There was much care and attention that went into the look and aesthetic of this visually striking bottle. Designed by award-winning artist and creative director Malin Ericson, it features a layered curvilinear design. Burch describes the bottle as an abstract take on her brand’s signature Double T logo, which is also emblazoned playfully off-centre on the spherical silver cap. “I wanted the bottle to be sculptural and architectural, something that would look beautiful on your vanity. It reminds me of the Guggenheim Museum. There’s a purity that I love, with a twisted logo that represents the evolution of our brand.” 

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Burch created her eponymous label as a way to empower women through her designs, and this principle also informs her business practices. In 2009, she founded the Tory Burch Foundation, which aims to help women entrepreneurs have easier access to capital, education and digital resources, while tackling misogynistic stereotypes. The core tenets of her brand are centred on kindness, passion, integrity and excellence. 

It has been over a decade since the launch of the first Tory Burch fragrance. When reflecting on all the releases over the years, the biggest personal highlight for Burch has been the brand’s partnership with Shiseido – a company she had long admired even before they formally joined forces. In fact, the reason for launching the Shiseido x Tory Burch Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion was because Burch loved their formula so much. “Their history, their relentless attention to detail, and their commitment to innovation is extraordinary,” she says. “We feel very connected to their approach and are excited for what’s next.” 

Looking ahead, Burch plans to release limited- edition Sublime gifts for the holidays and refill vessels for the scent in 2025. But when asked what other fragrance products or types of scents she hopes to launch someday, Burch simply replies that she’s “not in a rush.” This makes sense, as this latest fragrance naturally evokes a sense of reflection for the brand. From the twisted logo, to the campaign, to the juxtaposition of classic notes in the fragrance itself, Burch says, “Everything about Sublime represents the evolution of our brand and where we
are today.” 

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