When we’re told not to get catty, it’s often followed by bewildered glares and disapproving stares. However, here in the “Animal House,” a dash of feline ferocity is not grounds for dismissal—it’s requisite for entry. And as the name suggests, Tory Burch’s latest capsule collection channels the storied brand’s wild side as Animalia leaps to new heights with apparel and accessories so loud and so untamed, they simply hiss with it-girl energy. If panting to channel your inner feline and tap into some of that savage wow factor, scratch on the door and leave your pretenses outside. This season, camp is the real cat’s meow.
On sweatshirts, on skirts, and on the house’s hottest cult favorites (think the Ella Bio Tote), you’ll find one cool cat—eyes wide open, suspended in a fierce yowl—lensed by photographic visionaire Walter Schels. The iconic 1994 portrait titled Cat fuels the collection’s playful prowess and it’s safe to say the cat has definitely got our tongue. “There’s a human element to Walter’s photographs, in the way he looks at the animals, and they, in turn, look back,” Tory Burch notes of the German photographer’s work. “He gives animals the same respect as humans, highlighting their unique personalities and emotions.”
Starring another carefree kitten, Dolly the Cat, as the house’s latest muse, the campaign follows Dolly on a trip to a bodega in the Concrete Jungle, capturing her mid strut with much whimsy and few hang-ups. As they say, like pet, like owner. Maude Apatow, too, joins in on the fun, posing alongside her darling kitten, tossing aside the reserves of glamour for a posh prowl in the city.
In the “Animal House,” when it comes to edge, the claws not only come out but stay out, with maximalist prints ready to scratch up the rules and make a scene—wherever they’re worn. Be it at the art gallery, the bar, or even as evidenced by Maude and Dolly: the bodega—these threads make their presence known with animal motifs emblazoned on clean-cut silhouettes, melding the feral with the fetching.
Now, for the style savant whose spirit animal waxes more puss than lion—fret not. There are accessories that channel big cat energy with kitten-size commitment. Take the collection’s T Monogram Cat Printed belt bag and bucket bag, crafted in napa leather, or the Cat Printed baseball cap, for instance. For what they lack in size, these babies roar with serious swagger.
Whether on the street or on set, silver screen darlings and cats alike can attest to the lull of a cute cat. Maude, for one, knows it all too well. On set, an unexpected local mainstay, Lucie, whom she refers to as the “Bodega Cat,” arrived to scope out the scene. “The hardest part was separating Dolly from Lucie,” Maude recalls when shooting the campaign. “They kept wanting to hang out, but Dolly was on the clock!” As for any premise of a turf war, Maude left some treats for Lucie on the way out.
“We need more clothing that has imagery of cats on it,” adds Maude. Cats, for all their mischievous edge and fierce strutting, make strong candidates when in search of a spirit animal to channel some vestiary spunk. They were once worshipped as gods; it’s only natural they’d claw their way back into the annals of the 21st century as deities of dress. After all, who could resist those adorable furry faces? As for those pesky downers who simply don’t like cats, Maude hopes they’ll “come to their senses.” Me-ow!
Click here to step into Tory Burch’s Animal House.
