Coach Celebrates The Launch Of The Coach Originals

Coach announces the launch of the Coach originals, a bag collection and experiential pop-up shop that celebrates the brand’s authentic approach and 78-year legacy in leather craftsmanship. The launch coincides with the unveiling of Coach Creative Director Stuart Vever’s Spring 2020 ready-to-wear collection at New York Fashion Week, where a special edit of the bags will also appear on the runway. 

Inspired by the house’s archives and Coach’s belief in authentic self-expression, the Coach originals collection and pop-up speaks to the enduring vision of the house by combining Coach’s legacy in leather craftsmanship with Vevers inclusive and modern approach to authentic American style. The interactive, vintage-inspired pop-up shop is hosted inside Coach’s Madison Avenue store, and will be open from September 7 through 15 coinciding with Coach’s Spring 2020 runway show at New York Fashion Week.

To celebrate the opening, the brand hosted an exclusive preview event and featured a DJ set by Quincy Brown, and guests in attendance included Barbie Ferreria, Rainey Qualley, Rickey Thompson, Olivia Rouyre, Ellie Thumann, Marina Testino, Tali Lennox, Malu Byrne, Elsa Hosk, Fernanda Ly, Salem Mitchell, Mae Tan, Lucky Blue Smith, Larsen Thompson, Fazura, Luna Maya, Tamu McPherson, Ayame and Veronika Heilbrunner + Justin O’Shea, among others.

The full collection of the Coach originals bags will include vintage and new archive-inspired styles that have been Restored, Remixed, and Remade. 

The Restored bags will feature beloved archival Coach silhouettes that have been expertly cleaned, conditioned and restored. Remixed will include a limited-edition series of one-of-a-kind Coach designs handcrafted by Coach’s craftspeople from combinations of vintage Coach bags—like the Triple Dinky, which is made of three Coach Dinky shoulder bags sewn together, and the Satchel Pouch, a hybrid of a pouch and Coach’s Slim Satchel. 

Remade will feature new bags inspired by archival silhouettes, reimagined for now with Vevers’ playful and unpretentious sensibility. This will include bags inspired by the iconic designs of Coach’s first-ever creative director, Bonnie Cashin.

Created in collaboration with Sarah Andelman, founder of creative agency Just An Idea and founder and former creative director of Colette, the pop-up invites visitors to shop the Coach originals inside an experiential exhibition featuring Coach’s iconic bags throughout the decades. As part of the experience, visitors will also be able to try new and existing services that are unique to the house. These include Coach Rented, where for the first time ever clients will be able to rent an authentic Coach vintage bag that has been lovingly restored, and Coach Create, an always-on personalization experience which enables clients to customize bags, and Coach Cares, where they can have Coach bags cleaned and restored on-site. 

There will also be an exclusive collection of vintage books and magazines curated by specialty archivists Boo Hooray in collaboration with Coach, for sale only at the pop-up. 

“The Coach originals is both nostalgic and new,” said Vevers. “I wanted to create an experience that is unexpected to celebrate our heritage in a colorful, playful and irreverent way.”

Coinciding with the Coach originals launch and marking another landmark moment for the house, The Bonnie Cashin Foundation has entrusted Coach with Cashin’s legacy by allowing the brand to acquire all intellectual property owned by the Bonnie Cashin Foundation.