The streets were paved with glitter at Coach’s show this afternoon, with a sparkling life-size replica of a New York alleyway sitting smack bang in the middle of the runway, giving a Tinsel Town film set a run for its money. The brand has accumulated some major Hollywood players in the last few seasons, including Selena Gomez and James Franco, who is the face of Coach’s new men’s fragrance. The real star of today’s show, though, was cut from a different cloth entirely—the late, great Keith Haring, whose graffiti-style works left an indelible mark on the downtown scene in the early ’80s. Coach’s British creative director, Stuart Vevers, has a deep personal connection with Americana, and Haring—who is the second legendary Pop artist to be celebrated this week after Warhol at Calvin—had a democratic, art-for-all approach that resonates at the core of this American leather house.
If you were expecting an homage to flashy, ’80s club-kid gear, however, then you’d have been mistaken. Instead, Vevers filtered Haring’s graphic lines through a ’30s lens in a way that was refreshingly unexpected, with pretty pastel slip dresses covered with the faint trace of Haring’s signature squiggles. His cartoonish characters were more recognizable on ’70s-style leather jackets and sweatshirts, a new addition to the brand’s popular series of novelty knits. Vevers riffled through the archives for handbag inspiration, hitting upon a Bonnie Cashin favorite from 1972, called the mailbox. The boxy cross-body handbag was treated with the same personalized magic that has made Coach’s accessories fly off the shelves since Vevers came on board in 2013; the designer now has a CFDA Award on his mantelpiece to boot. Laden with charming floral hardware, cheeky slogan patches, and Haring’s signature love hearts, the bags felt like modern keepsakes for the social media generation, as did the shoes, which were also replete with highly Instagrammable trimmings.
Vevers has lately been extending his reach beyond the accessories closet, and this season he put eveningwear into the spotlight. The satin slips managed to combine the innocence of the prairie—think patchwork quilting and sun-bleached vintage floral petticoats—with the vibrant energy of the dance floor. You can certainly imagine a cool girl like Gomez boogying the night away in one of the twinkling pieces, perhaps with a tough biker jacket thrown over her shoulders. Collectible party pieces like these are sure to find favor with stylish young magpies the world over.
