Few designers capture the spirit of the moment as sharply as Stuart Vevers, and his latest collection for Coach reflects the youthful fashion shift taking place in New York.
A Street-Inspired Silhouette
The radical line of silhouettes included ultra-wide trousers paired with sharply fitted jackets, vests, and sleeveless pieces. Finished with precise tailoring, it offered a fresh interpretation of today’s street style. Despite a challenging market, young people in Lower Manhattan have never been so driven to dress boldly. From cafés near Times Square to stylish crowds on Howard Street, this generation consciously challenges convention.
Reimagined Wardrobe Staples
The key word here was “reimagined”: elongated patched jeans, trousers assembled from panels of faded denim or Coach monogram fabric, and heavily aged leather jackets. True to the brand, nearly every look was paired with a bag — from bucket totes with wide straps to crescent clutches and cardholders dangling from neck chains. The clothes appeared worn-in, but in the most beloved sense, as if models were ready to leave the runway still wearing them.
Youthful Casting
Casting director Ashley Brokaw assembled a flawless lineup — a cross-section of youthful pride and hope. These were the cool insiders every teenager dreams of becoming after moving to New York.
Inspiration: A Morning in the City
“The whole idea came from a New York morning,” explained British-born Vevers backstage during the penultimate day of New York Fashion Week. “It feels bright, fresh, optimistic, and full of forward movement. I wanted heritage and nostalgia without heaviness.” His collection also reflected impressions from other parts of America: sheath dresses printed with Monument Valley landscapes, grunge-style T-shirts emblazoned with “Seattle,” and tops featuring the Santa Fe fairground.
A Celebration of New York
The show took place in a vast warehouse on the East River. Towering 40-foot canvases displayed sepia-toned images of classic doorways, neoclassical mansions, and stone buildings — a tribute to the city itself.
Under Vevers, Coach has become a cult brand. So despite the remote setting on Manhattan’s eastern edge, fans gathered outside in the hundreds, joined by a few PETA activists.
