You don't argue with Oprah. So when the queen of daytime TV invited fledgling New York designer Tory Burch onto her show and declared her "the next big thing in fashion," Burch's fate was sealed. Viewers inundated the designer's Web site with orders for her affordable, modernized classics, from trademarck dickies to easy-chic flats topped with her graphic hardware logo. For an overnight sensation, though, Burch's formula for success is as close to home as it comes. She draws inspiration from American icons of the sixties and seventies, including her fashionable mom—but ultimately, she is her own best muse. And as a regular on the Manhattan social circuit, it's no surprise she has as deft a hand with party dresses as she does with everyday clothes. The sequined mini-shift she debuted for spring became an instant Hollywood blockbuster. Tune in to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rachel Bilson, Sophia Bush, Hilary Duff, or Mandy Moore to see what all the buzz is about. —JANE KELTNER
Tory Burch
