As a European designer at the head of one of the U.S.’ foremost heritage brands, you can count on Stuart Vevers to put a unique spin on American idealism. Fall sees him speak to youth counterculture through the lens of an Old Hollywood classic: “The Wizard of Oz.”
“The thing about youth is it’s always changing,” said the designer, who last week welcomed a new baby, deepening his focus on the next generation. “That’s a big part of what I love to do: listening and feeling that change from the new generation.”
In recent seasons, fashion has turned to Gen Z, courting eyes with content creators and highlighting upcycled garments. Vevers has been a trailblazer in gaining their attention, angling the brand toward youth with much success. Need proof? Take a quick look at the many Coach hauls on TikTok. His youthquake has traction, clearly understanding that shopping vintage, upcycling and mixing trends is just how his customer gets dressed. For fall, he met them with a range of moody ’70s punk rock genderfluid ideas and bits of color — a take on film noir sepia to Technicolor from the classic film that inspired him.
He reported taking a lighter touch and it showed with repurposed denim patchwork shorts, paper-thin tailoring made from scraps of plaid, each with a leather accent layered in, with bits peeking out on collars and arms on the mostly bare-chested models.
Almost every piece looked vintage, mixing eras with numbered jersey Ts, gray denim, collegiate knits with made-up mascots, plaid and print dresses and even handbags made from a catcher’s mitt, instilling a dose of ephemera.
“The runway is a laboratory for ideas around sustainability,” Vevers said. “Some things as an experimentation don’t go beyond runway, but the most important are the things that do become bigger ideas.” His fall runway had many ideas that his customer — like his front row that included Odessa A’zion, Elle Fanning and Tyriq Withers — would wear, naturally reflecting the collection’s off-kilter mood.
Back on the runway, he once again employed some street casting. “We love kids with unique hair, haircuts and personal style,” he said of his deliberately aloof Coach characters.
For men, Vevers leaned into what he described as “utilitarian tailoring,” offering up cropped silhouettes with “strong shoulders” that can work as layering pieces. Case in point: an above-the waist leather blouson jacket over a Henley. The collegiate theme was also evident for men, as shown in the varsity-inspired jackets that he paired with shorts, perfect for a warm fall afternoon. Other expressions included a peacoat and a duffle coat that he paired with a new skater-style sneaker with metal closures rather than laces.
A place where he is sure to capture a wide customer base is accessories: a new leather messenger bag was taken down to its essence, letting the top stitching and leather do the talking. “There’s nothing extra on that bag,” Vevers quipped of the style. Other options included an east-west shape that models scrunched up, paired with the lace-less beaten-up skate shoes, both of which felt pilfered from the past.
As models walked the runway to LCD Soundsystem’s “American Dream,” Vevers’ darker punk rock take on collegiate codes crystalized, reframing his American dream with a moodier, self-aware unease that felt current, sharp and believable.
