Coach had a surprise for the latest group of 150 students in its Dream It Real program.
The program, which launched in 2018 and is part of the Coach Foundation, strives to create opportunities, remove barriers and support the next generation of young people in underrepresented communities to achieve their dreams.
As part of its annual Dream Day on Monday, where the scholars visited the Coach headquarters at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, they were greeted by a special guest: Lil Nas X, the brand’s ambassador and collaborator.
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The entertainer surprised several of the students with a session with his stylist Matthew Mazur where they collaborated to create career-inspired looks from Coach pieces in the Dream It Real Closets. He also worked with them in the “Dream It Real Portrait Studio,” coaching students as they took headshots for their résumés.
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“Always stand beside yourself,” Lil Nas X told the students. “You are going to be the main person you can count on when you’re chasing your dream. The main person that you have to believe in. Always move forward and stand on your own path.”
Together with Coach Foundation’s partner organizations — Opportunity Network, Bottom Line, Point Foundation, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Hetrick-Martin Institute — the students also received a full day of mentorship, networking and professional development advice.
Other activities included the “Dream It Real ‘Real Talks’” where executives discussed their career journeys and topics such as branding and digital marketing.
The day ended with a party for the students where they were able to meet and mingle with their Dream It Real mentors, Coach employees who have offered support and guidance to them over the past academic year.
Stuart Vevers, Coach’s creative director, said, “Dream Day is a special moment for Coach because it’s when we bring together young people from our programs to celebrate all they are doing to make their dreams real. This year, we were especially excited that Lil Nas X could join us to make this day even more memorable for our students. He is someone who fully embodies the spirit of finding confidence in who you are that is so fundamental to everything we do at Coach, and through our foundation.”
Todd Kahn, chief executive officer and president of the brand, added, “Dream Day champions Coach’s Dream It Real initiative and is an amazing opportunity for young people to connect for a day full of mentorship, professional development and creative workshops. The Coach Foundation committed to granting 5,000 students with scholarships through nonprofit partners by 2025. I am proud to announce that we met our goal two years early, helping break cycles of inequality by empowering young people to reach their full potential through higher education.”
Since its launch, Dream It Real has provided support and resources to more than 150,000 young people.