For his debut men’s runway show, Coach’s creative director Stuart Vevers was aiming for a collection that “suits the way we dress today,” and said his inspiration included New Yorkers’ no-nonsense winter wardrobes and the American films of his youth, starring actors such as the young Keanu Reeves and Mickey Rourke.
The result was urban sophistication with a utilitarian twist. Shearling — long and short — played a central role: as a black dash of luxe on the front of a white varsity jacket; the trim on the edges of a nylon parka hood; or a warming addition to a zippered, elongated biker jacket. Short, teddy-bearish shearling coats were a highlight of the show that saw models strutting their stuff in front of two full-scale Joel Sternfeld images of the chilly outdoors.
Vevers also played with the idea of modern-day “fetishistic objects” — sneakers in particular. He decked out his footwear with thick, fuzzy shearling tongues, Coach’s turn-lock details and Whipstitch “tear and repair” trim, and printed the word “Coach” in Japanese on sneakers and T-shirts.