June 4, 2021: Coach has made its impressive return to in-person runway shows (remember those?) by presenting its first stand-alone winter collection. But, instead of showing its upcoming range in New York City, the American fashion label traveled to Shanghai to debut creative director Stuart Vevers’ new vision—one that takes, as the brand puts it, a more “honest approach to seasonality.”
For the show, held at the historic Shanghai Exhibition Center on Thursday, June 3, the brand immersed showgoers in their nostalgic feels by staging a vintage Americana drive-in that served as the catwalk. It also incorporated the brand’s Coach TV program, interspersing the fashion show with retro clips that feel very 90s meets early aughts, which played on the large screen for attendees.
The show opened with a video introduction hosted by social media icon and Coach ambassador Rickey Thompson (it was wildly reminiscent of supermodel Cindy Crawford hosting MTV’s House of Style). Like the model’s hosting gig, Thompson takes to the streets of SoHo to document notable street style and relay fashionable trends.
The show opened with a video introduction hosted by social media icon and Coach ambassador Rickey Thompson (it was wildly reminiscent of supermodel Cindy Crawford hosting MTV’s House of Style). Like the model’s hosting gig, Thompson takes to the streets of SoHo to document notable street style and relay fashionable trends. Directors Danielle Nemet Aphrodite and Jason Bergh also greeted viewers with epic 90s infomercials, vintage weather reporting, and cameos starring other members of the Coach family, including Jennifer Lopez, Megan Thee Stallion, Jeremy Lin, Yang Zi, Kōki, Xiao Wen Ju, Ke Fan, and Ding Nan.
“The experience I envisioned for our return to the runway combines all that we loved about live shows in the past with all that we’ve learned in the past year,” says Vevers in a statement shared with GRAZIA USA. “It brings together our Coach Family around the world and reflects our commitment to imagining differently and constantly evolving.”
Like the Coach TV installment, the extensive collection builds on the ski-focused fall range debuted this past February. Vevers revisits key pieces from fall and carefully introduces new styles specifically for the colder months. A cast of models takes the runway in a colorful palette of shearling, puffer coats, vintage ski pants, moon boots, as well as the house’s new Studio bag in both glovetanned and quilted leather.
Yann Bozec, Tapestry Asia’s chief executive officer, told WWD that, moving forward, Coach plans on staging an annual runway show in China as the market is a key focus for the company. “We are already working on the concept for next year,” he revealed.
See the collection in its entirety below.
And watch the Coach show in full ahead.
