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This isn't the best time for a socialite to be pitching a high-end lifestyle brand. But you can't blame Tory Burch for trying to remake her image to suit the current economic climate. Burch, who is now preparing to introduce her line to British shoppers, "has created the go-to brand for affordable luxury" and is now a "portal to accessible chic," reports the Sunday Times. And she expects her line to continue to grow as hedge-fund wives "downgrade from Hermès and Halston." "We have a lot of designer customers shopping in our stores who think of us as their Gap," Burch explains. As for her high-profile split from ex-husband Chris Burch and the handful of men she's been linked to since then (including Lance Armstrong, Ron Perelman, and Lyor Cohen), don't think for a minute she's been pleased to see her name in the news:

"It's hard for me, because I'm a very private person," she says of the interest. "But, at the same time, I'm flattered that women relate to me on different levels. There are, of course, downsides. Like people going through things I'd rather not be written about—like my divorce. Although maybe that helped women relate to me."

We agree! Breaking up with an uber-wealthy venture capitalist, rebounding publicly with a string of famous womanizers, all the while juggling work, children, and immaculately highlighted hair: It's a universal experience.

For affordable chic, vote Tory [Times UK]