Stephen Burrows grew up in Newark New Jersey, and graduated from FIT in 1966. He chose New York City's O Boutique to sell his creations and soon found admirers in the Warhol crowd and before too long he was the toast of the chic and fabulous of New York. In 1970 Geraldine Stutz, president of Henri Bendel offered Burrows own store within the store, aptly named “Stephen Burrows World”, a place often described as a wonderland of silk and color.

In 1973, Stephen was invited (along with Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Halston and Anne Klein), to show his work in Paris on the runway at Versailles. He also won a Coty award that same year, and again in 1977. After Bendels closed in the early 1980s, Burrows semi retired designing exclusively for the stage. In 2003 the new Henri Bendels invited Stephen back to his World.