11 February 2025 |
Nineties grunge through a Gen Z lens.
If you grew up during the 90s and early aughts in New York City, a few things are certain: you thrifted at the likes of Antique Boutique or Canal Jean Company and you spent time checking out the skateboarders at Brooklyn Banks. And while Coach’s Stuart Vevers may not have done either, it certainly felt like that moment was brought back to life at the brand’s fall 2025 show. Set at the Park Armory, the expansive hall was sectioned off via printed fabric to create an intimate setting. The show notes say the intention was to create an industrial space but it also brought to mind Brooklyn Bridge’s signature arches and bricks. Coach is always classic New York, even when it’s not overtly so. Even the music was true to the city, with Brooklyn-based indie band Nation of Language serving as the live soundtrack for the show.
“My vision for fall was to ground the collection in all the things that make Coach so distinct as a fashion house: our heritage materials and palette, our commitment to repurposing and “re-loving” second hand garments through craft, and our belief in the power of community and self-expression,” said Vevers in the press release.
To execute said vision, Vevers and his team sent out upcycled outerwear whether it was cropped bomber jackets, trenches in leather and shearling, peacoats, and even a faux fur leopard number. In a very nineties-era thrifting move, they also turned vintage negligees and beaded gowns into a series of dresses. Even the denim was made from existing pieces, as second hand jeans were transformed into baggy pants that instantly brought to mind the skaters who would illegally grind the rails at the Banks. It was nostalgic but still fresh courtesy of the bits of argyle and lurex knits as well as the shrunken tees added to the mix.
At its heart, Coach is an accessories brand and for fall 2025, they continued their sense of light-hearted fun. Spend any time on social media yesterday and you’d have seen the fuzzy bunny slippers all over your feed. Bag charms, which have become a staple, are still popular with knitted carrots, teddy bears, and elephants among the baubles dangling off handbags. Two new designs debuted: the Twin Pocket Bag, which was inspired by a 1968 archival piece, and the Bleecker Bucket Bag, also taken from the archives. As for the brand’s classics like the Empire, Brooklyn, and Tabby, they too made appearances albeit rendered in different proportions and materials like satin.
To cap off the show, the brand announced that certain pieces would be available to purchase immediately after. See-now buy-now might be a relic of the past but it’s not completely gone quite yet: Empire Carryall in the 34 and 21 sizes as well as the leopard faux fur coat are both up on Coach’s site now.
