Sumptuous suede A-line skirts, oversized and snuggly teddy-bear fur coats, buttery soft leather bowling bags; these are just a few of the stunning pieces from Coach 1941’s AW16 show that proved they are a fashion force to be reckoned with.
Over recent years Coach has seen a slump in sales, and is often dismissed as a brand solely focused on luxury bags. This is all set to change. The introduction of Stuart Vevers – a man who has worked at Loewe, Mulberry, Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein to name a few – as Executive Creative Director, and then becoming a lifestyle brand called Coach 1941, the reinvention of this all-American household name is a step in a very fashionable, successful direction.
Attending the show were a number of young, cool teen celebrities helping to give Coach the more modern aesthetic they’re looking for. Ciara, Emma Roberts and Chloë Moretz (the face of the brand’s latest campaign) were all on the Frow dressed head to toe in Coach.
As the lights dimmed the show opened, and cool music from Brooklyn based girl band Habibi echoed around the room. In place of a catwalk the venue was instead decorated to look like a typical high school gymnasium – a theme that was reflected throughout the show.
The entire look of the show was a smorgasbord of schoolgirl meets sixties meets Western. It sounds wrong, but it was so, so right.
Models decked in Varsity bomber jackets opened the show. But they weren’t just the usual Glee style jersey jacket; they had luxurious leather sleeves, a longline shape for a flattering fit, and Coach themed patches. Then we saw huge trench coats with deliciously fluffy fur collars.
There were cropped suede jackets, shearling aviator jackets (my favourite), huge teddy bear styles, and even chic leather biker jackets.
Underneath all of these were gingham shirts with ruffles and pointy collars, or intricate floral designs, and swinging sixties a-line mini skirts.
Small cross-bodies were bags du jour, and the shoes ranged from mid-calf length metallic boots, to studded patent ankle boots, to golden heeled loafers. It was sheer luxury; with a difference.
It isn’t even summer yet, but I’m already lusting after the release of Coach’s incredible Autumn/Winter collection. Here’s to another amazing 75 years.
