Tory Burch’s The Hamptons
The American fashion designer launched her eponymous label, known for chicly polished staples, in 2004 and last year was one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women
My weekends centre around family, sport and being outdoors. The day starts with tennis at home – our same group of 10 women has been playing competitive round-robins for years, and this is both a Saturday and Sunday ritual. Then, after breakfast, I’ll head to the local markets to buy supplies for the evening. I tend to have lots of house guests at weekends and might have between 12 and 20 people over for a dinner party in our pool pavilion.
My first stop is always The Green Thumb [pictured] for organic blueberries, eggplant and tomatoes. Next I’ll head to Schmidt’s for steaks and fresh fish, or to Clamman for buckets of shellfish. My teenage sons and I also like to go clamming and crabbing, so we’ll often get our own catch as well. For dessert I like to serve classic chocolate-chip cookies and fruit pies from Tate’s Bake Shop.
After lunch made in our pizza oven by the poolhouse, I’ll go shopping. I’m always looking for things to inspire me creatively and I love Mecox for beautiful objets for the home and garden, Melet Mercantile in Montauk for incredible vintage clothing and furniture, and Tiina the Store in Amagansett for great Scandinavian glassware and clothing. No afternoon is complete without an ice cream from the retro Candy Kitchen.
The rest of the afternoon is usually spent in my cutting garden where I grow snapdragons and dahlias. I find flower-arranging therapeutic, and especially love creating bouquets of sweet peas, cherry branches and hydrangeas. I also usually have flowers sent out by Jitney from Dutch Flower Line in the city, so that our house is full of blooms when we arrive on a Friday evening.
On the Saturday nights I’m not entertaining I’ll go to Italian restaurant Sant Ambroeus for a late plate of pasta, or to Nick & Toni’s, a bustling East Hampton institution with a series of small, intimate rooms that are great for cosy dinners and conversation. If I’m feeling ambitious I might go and hear some live music at The Stephen Talkhouse, but mostly I just enjoy grilling lobsters in the backyard in the company of my three sons, family and friends. Our group will often linger until midnight, listening to music – some Van Morrison, Neil Young and rap for the kids – and talking.
Sunday mornings start with tennis again, followed by – if my children are in charge – either a basketball game on the court at home or tuna fishing off the tip of Long Island. Afterwards I’ll have a refreshing coconut water from Juice Press or a light lunch at Tutto Il Giorno, which has a beautiful garden.
On rainy afternoons I might pop into the Pollock-Krasner House, which puts on exhibitions throughout the summer, or to the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Parrish Art Museum, where I love the pieces by Louise Nevelson and Roy Lichtenstein. Or we might go to Guild Hall in nearby East Hampton, which shows great plays and cabaret, as well as live screenings from the Met and of the latest National Theatre hit.
When the sun is shining, my afternoons are typically spent by the pool followed by an early takeaway supper from La Parmigiana, one of our family’s favourite spots for authentic veal parmigiana and prosciutto with fresh mozzarella. If we go out, it will be to The Old Stove Pub, an old Sagaponack classic famous for its Greek food and enormous steaks. By 8pm I feel refreshed, calm and ready for the two-hour drive back to the city – and for what will likely be a busy week ahead.
For more Hamptons hotspots, take a look at the personal style file of Bulgari’s creative director Lucia Silvestri or for more beachside adventures in the US, try Melissa Odabash’s perfect weekend in Palm Beach.