Feng shui dictates the layout. Tory has been interested in the Chinese philosophical system since the opening of her brand’s Hong Kong office in 2006, when one of her staff introduced her to it. She regularly consults feng shui masters on her properties, stores and even the Tory Burch headquarters in New York’s Flatiron district. “I really believe in its principles. I try to apply them as much as I can to the environments I’m in to create a positive mood.”

The vibe of the apartment also has a lot to do with Tory’s children, who are now in their late teens and early twenties. “They grew up here, roaming the hallways since they were toddlers. The entire home is very much their space, and, increasingly, their friends’. They have shaped it.” The result is a mix of formal—the entrance hall is stately, the marble flooring and tray ceilings striking—and casual. There might be a Modigliani drawing hanging on the wall and other valuable artefacts scattered around, but there’s no do-not-touch policy. “I’ve never been precious about things.”

This unfussy attitude from a designer comes as something of a surprise. Petite, with perfectly styled honey-blonde hair, a toned, athletic figure and a high-gloss aura in whatever out t she dons, the 51-year-old is the epitome of well put-together. Her fashion empire, which she launched in 2004 with no formal design training after working her way up doing PR for brands like Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang, has capitalised on the concept of preppy chic. Her signature looks— neo-1970s button-down silk blouses, bohemian dresses, neat cardigans, and classic pumps with the now iconic double-T gold logo, all in cheerful colour combinations—stand out for the whiff of Upper West Side they exude. It’s a formula that has worked incredibly well—Tory is one of America’s youngest billionaires and the brand is now a lifestyle powerhouse in its own right—but not one that makes you think “low maintenance.”

“I am a country girl at heart,” the designer laughs, “which I definitely owe to my upbringing. My parents imparted a love for the laid-back. And the eccentric, too. They had a more-is-more attitude when it came to our family home that I have inherited, but also edited down for this apartment. The idea that the place we live in should be welcoming has very much stayed with me, however.”

Tory grew up in a 250-year-old Georgian mansion on a farm in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, with three brothers and her parents, a fashionably bohemian pair who loved to travel and host glamorous dinners for visiting artists, writers, actors, and entrepreneurs. She was outdoorsy, a tomboy with no interest in frills, but she was also enchanted by the way her parents entertained and dressed up for it. Today, Tory loves to hold parties and informal get-togethers at home, from dinners to movie nights with her design team. “I find a certain pleasure in setting the table, picking the glassware, the tablecloth, the menu... I don’t do it as much as I’d like to.”

Her parents were keen collectors, not just of art but of homeware, knick-knacks, and mementos from their travels in India, Asia, and Africa. Looking at Tory’s compact but impressive assortment of furnishings and art—including a Lucio Fontana canvas, Magritte’s La Géante, and an Yves Klein coffee table—I ask how her parents’ collecting in uenced her. “I’m not a big collector, not compared to them at least. What I have always liked about my parents is how they used to gather things together, and in the house, not because of their value but because of their style and beauty. I try to do the same with the items I purchase. I just love mixing pieces from different periods. The old with the new.” Which explains why a 17th-century oil painting by the Dutch artist Jacobus Victors hangs with the Modigliani drawing against a swamp-green velvet wall. It’s a contrast, and it works beautifully. The same goes for an Egyptian mask on a French table. “I find the clash interesting,” she says. “But, then again, I studied the history of art, so I’m sure there’s some in influence from that, too.”

Does she have a favourite piece? “Two paintings by Italian artist Franco Gentilini. One is in the living room and the other in the dining room. They belonged to my parents.” A canvas by another Italian, 17th-century miniaturist Giovanna Garzoni, is also a much-cherished possession. “She was one of the rst female artists to rise to fame during the baroque period in Europe, and I’m fascinated by her story. Generally, I’m finding myself increasingly drawn towards works by women artists.”

That, no doubt, has something to do with the designer’s philanthropic interests. Through her Tory Burch Foundation, she founded in 2009 a joint venture with Bank of America, the Capital Program, to provide access to capital, education, and digital resources for entrepreneurial women. The charity has issued almost US$40 million to female-helmed start-ups and seen hundreds of women graduate from a special business education programme it runs with Goldman Sachs. “I wanted to start my own business so that I could start a foundation for women,” says Tory, “so it’s definitely a big part of my life—the heart and soul of the company, in fact. We are progressively having so much impact and scale, and I’m just so proud of that.

“Women face so many challenges,” she continues, “and that’s so true of the start-up world too.” It’s one of the reasons why, on International Women’s Day last year, Tory launched the Embrace Ambition campaign, in which famous personalities such as Julianne Moore, Melinda Gates, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anna Wintour, and Reese Witherspoon talk about reclaiming a word often used against women. “There’s still such a negative connotation around women and ambition, and the campaign really hopes to address that. We wish to inspire women to own the word and celebrate it in every aspect of their lives.”

It’s clear the subject and her foundation are very close to Tory’s heart. I ask if she ever separates this side of her life—the business, the foundation—from her private life (she’s currently planning her wedding with LVMH chairman and CEO Pierre-Yves Roussel). “At home, it’s all about my boys,” she replies. “I try to spend as much time as possible with them when they’re here, which is increasingly rare, as they’re young men now and go out a fair bit. But we do have movie nights and often hang together in the library, which is perhaps my favourite space because of that. So, yes, I do keep things separate. Everyone needs to have some balance between life and work.”

In that, too, the house, with its mix of old and new, high-brow and personal, grand and friendly, is a perfect reflection of Tory.