Home
Awards & Events
Fashion Week
#NYFW Designers Tell Us: How I Spent My Summer

#NYFW Designers Tell Us: How I Spent My Summer

By Andrea Cheng

Updated Sep 04, 2014 @ 10:03 am

Courtesy

Today officially marks the first day of New York Fashion Week. For the fashion industry, that means a weeklong immersion in all things fashion, from shuttling between studio locations to dissecting spring/summer 2015 collections and spotting newborn trends. But before we jump ahead to next season, we've traveled back in time with 10 New York designers who gave us an exclusive, rather intimate glimpse into their summer.

Tory Burch traveled up and down the Amalfi Coast of Southern Italy with her sons and spent the days outdoors, boating, fishing, and swimming. Rachel Zoe also logged in quality family time—one afternoon was spent with hubby Rodger Berman and son Skyler at a polo match. And Tom Mora, the womenswear designer for J. Crew, soaked up the sun on the divine beaches of Ibiza.

But even in their downtime, there's no rest for the creatively wired. Oftentimes during interviews, designers say they take inspiration from life, from anything and everything that surrounds them—summer travels included. Peter Som captured a scenic snap of sailboats, but not before picking up on its impactful primary colors. Mara Hoffman used the Californian desert sun to her full advantage and shot a moment that epitomized "light, love and peace."

From a relaxing getaway to the Hamptons to family trips to Disneyland, peek into their personal lives like you've never seen before.

Start Slideshow

1 of 38

Tory Burch

Courtesy

"Italy is one of my favorite countries. I remember traveling there with my parents growing up and now I take my boys. This summer we went to the Amalfi coast and spent every day outdoors, boating, fishing and swimming."

2 of 38

Tory Burch

Courtesy

"San Fruttuoso Abbey is tucked away in a small cove surrounded by beautiful greenery. Overlooking the beach, I loved the contrast of the colorful sunbathers against the neutral sand and stone."

3 of 38

Tory Burch

Courtesy

"The amazing dessert table at Il Riccio in Capri. The only thing that topped the food was the view of the Tyrrhenian Sea from the cliff-top terrace."

4 of 38

Rachel Zoe

Courtesy

"An afternoon with my boys at the polo match."

5 of 38

Rachel Zoe

Courtesy

"My view in the Hamptons every day...dream!"

6 of 38

Rachel Zoe

Courtesy

"Early evening jam sessions at Wölffer Winery with my angels."

7 of 38

Rachel Zoe

Courtesy

"Heading to Sagaponack Beach in their matching raffia hats for the drum circle-it's a Monday night tradition that Skyler loves to do with his Papa."

8 of 38

Peter Som

Courtesy

"#red #yellow #blue #primarycolors" the designer tells us of his summer inspirations.

9 of 38

Peter Som

Courtesy

"There is no place else I would rather be but here! #weekend #pool"

10 of 38

Peter Som

Courtesy

"Seeing stripes in the #Hamptons."

11 of 38

Peter Som

Courtesy

"Tomato time means it's SUMMER! Add burrata and basil and I'm set! #yum"

12 of 38

Peter Som

Courtesy

"This way to a perfect summer weekend. #privet #gardens #hamptons"

13 of 38

Mara Hoffman

Courtesy

"Light, love, and peace in the California desert."

14 of 38

Mara Hoffman

Courtesy

"My little dude, Joaquin, pushing his papa in a hammock in our backyard."

15 of 38

Mara Hoffman

Courtesy

"My little merman in our outdoor bathtub."

16 of 38

Mara Hoffman

Courtesy

"Family trip to Disneyland-so excited to meet our fave, Tigger."

17 of 38

Wes Gordon

Courtesy

"I went to see Katy Perry's concert at Madison Square Garden (and earned major big-brother points for bringing my sister). It was a blast-thank you, Johnny! (Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist)."

18 of 38

Wes Gordon

Courtesy

"My team and I went on a 'field trip' to see the Jeff Koons exhibit at the Whitney. It's an awesome retrospective and, since it's the final major Whitney show in the Breuer building, a must-see."

19 of 38

Wes Gordon

Courtesy

"We escaped for a few days to Belize, which is incredibly beautiful. I read, sketched, and swam. It was perfect. The snorkeling and diving in Belize is legendary-here is a picture I took of a sea turtle."

20 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

Courtesy

"Given the fact that my summer was child-free for a few weeks, and I was still in the process of finishing construction on my new Fifth Avenue flagship store, my husband and I spent many nights at Mr. Chows having long amazing dinners with friends."

21 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

Courtesy

"The one amazing trip we went on was to St Barths with the kids and our close friends. The amazing beach days were the highlight of my summer."

22 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

Courtesy

"With the store finally open, I spent many days working to make it just right for our customers."

23 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

Courtesy

"My one weekend in the Hamptons was spent cooking and hanging with close friends. My signature summer salad with corn, shrimp, and avocado was a daily request."

24 of 38

Rebecca Taylor

Courtesy

"Dinner is served!"

25 of 38

Rebecca Taylor

Courtesy

"We had a family outing to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden as soon as it was warm enough to wander there without a jacket. This lavender patch was one of my favorite spots."

26 of 38

Rebecca Taylor

Courtesy

"Most weekends this summer were spent at our home on Shelter Island. Dining alfresco without the crowds of NYC? Yes, please!"

27 of 38

Tom Mora (J.Crew)

Courtesy

"The amazing sunset in San Miguel, Ibiza."

28 of 38

Tom Mora (J.Crew)

Courtesy

"A sweet old man gave us this umbrella. The beach in Formentera was so relaxing, we just camped out under this beach umbrella every day!"

29 of 38

Tom Mora (J.Crew)

Courtesy

"The perfect view-the beaches in Ibiza are truly some of the best in the world."

30 of 38

Tom Mora (J.Crew)

Courtesy

"I thought this rope motorcycle was fantastic. I came across it in Es Cavallet, Ibiza."

31 of 38

Gilles Mendel (J. Mendel)

Courtesy

"I love summer in the city. One of my favorite things to do is to go antiquing at the Williamsburg Flea Market. This was taken close by."

32 of 38

Gilles Mendel (J. Mendel)

Courtesy

"I spent the first part of July in Aigua Blava, Spain, where I used to spend every summer growing up. Here I am with my children, Sacha and Chloe, sitting in the garden of the very same house I used to stay in with my own parents. It was like I'd never left!"

Account

More

#NYFW Designers Tell Us: How I Spent My Summer

1 of 38

Tory Burch

1 of 38

2 of 38

Tory Burch

2 of 38

3 of 38

Tory Burch

3 of 38

4 of 38

Rachel Zoe

4 of 38

5 of 38

Rachel Zoe

5 of 38

6 of 38

Rachel Zoe

6 of 38

7 of 38

Rachel Zoe

7 of 38

8 of 38

Peter Som

8 of 38

9 of 38

Peter Som

9 of 38

10 of 38

Peter Som

10 of 38

11 of 38

Peter Som

11 of 38

12 of 38

Peter Som

12 of 38

13 of 38

Mara Hoffman

13 of 38

14 of 38

Mara Hoffman

14 of 38

15 of 38

Mara Hoffman

15 of 38

16 of 38

Mara Hoffman

16 of 38

17 of 38

Wes Gordon

17 of 38

18 of 38

Wes Gordon

18 of 38

19 of 38

Wes Gordon

19 of 38

20 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

20 of 38

21 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

21 of 38

22 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

22 of 38

23 of 38

Jennifer Fisher

23 of 38

24 of 38

Rebecca Taylor

24 of 38

25 of 38

Rebecca Taylor

25 of 38

26 of 38

Rebecca Taylor