It’s that time when the merry-go round of catwalk shows is ensuring fashionistas’ diaries are chock-full. And, as usual, kicking off Fashion Month was New York Fashion Week, which took place from February 11 to 16. While the autumn/winter 22 schedule offered a number of runway moments from firm favourites that caught our eye, the Big Apple’s most anticipated fashion event wouldn’t be the same without quintessentially American brand Coach.
The New York-born brand revealed its newest autumn/winter collection during a live runway show held at Basketball City on the fashion capital’s Lower East Side on Valentine’s Day. Broadcast live on the house’s Instagram and YouTube channels, the show evoked familiar feelings of home and nostalgia for the shared experiences and American stories that connect us.
The collection of 42 looks is the next chapter of Creative Director’s Stuart Vevers’ vision of American heritage, rebooted with the optimism and attitude of the next generation. And guests, including Coach family members and A-listers like Megan Thee Stallion, Amber Schaefer Elsa Hosk, Xenia Adonts and Tina Leung got to see models showcasing classic Coach pieces like shearling and leather outerwear contrasted with romantic lace and crocheted dresses. While the babydoll dresses come with a 60s vintage vibe, the sheepskin jackets look super cool styled with bikini tops and baseball caps.
The collection, which celebrates the role the house continues to play in shaping the legacy of American style, also includes pops of neon, notably on chunky sunglasses, oversized T-shirts and leather ready-to-wear inspired by leather bars of the 70s. Referencing Bonnie Cashin, Coach’s first head designer, Vevers presented archival outerwear reimagined in cosy shearling and a revived version of Coach’s “Sling” bag from 1964. In addition, pieces created in collaboration with graffiti artists Mint&Serf come printed with the duo’s raw, expressive 80s downtown style.
“My collections often begin with a feeling, and for fall, the feeling was love,” the British Vevers, who has helmed the house since 2013, said. “To express this, the collection explores tensions between romance and toughness to reinvestigate Coach heritage. I liked the idea of creating a nostalgic world somewhere in America seen through a widescreen lens, mixing the energy of today with the nostalgia for pop culture that has always inspired me.”
The catwalk presentation took place within an imagined American neighbourhood, “Somewhere in America.” The spectacle was envisioned in the house’s heritage colour palette, while set against a soundtrack of 70s romance remixed with 90s grunge, which included The Carpenters’ “Superstar.” Featuring set pieces designed to elicit the audience’s memories of American towns and choreographed vignettes that illustrated the daily lives of the characters who live in this town, the experience referenced the stories that define our collective imagination. It also celebrated the way the next generation is rewriting these stories for today.
