It is not Coca’s first stint working in Louis Vuitton’s ateliers. After graduating from Beaux-Arts and the Boulle school of applied arts in Paris, he began his fashion career as a leather goods designer at the storied maison. “I am very pleased that [Coca] is joining me on this journey that started a few years ago,” Ghesquière said in a brand press release distributed on 26 May. “The team and I look forward to working with him in the inspiring world of Louis Vuitton.”
Executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, Delphine Arnault, praised her new hire for his “perfect unison with Louis Vuitton’s spirit”. “He will strengthen our creative energy and our ability to innovate,” she said. Coca’s ambition landed him the job at Mulberry in 2014, after he had climbed up the ladder at Céline under Phoebe Philo. He had a clear remit at the British heritage label, which had tried and failed to compete with hyper-luxury brands: reboot, before its signature Bayswater bag became obsolete.
A new Mulberry logo, two new bag families – the Amberley and the Iris – and a buy-back and repair service for customers revived the sleepy label’s marketability. Runway extravaganzas – including a brief sojourn to Tokyo and Paris-based salon previews – and see-now, buy-now models also raised its profile as a serious player in the industry. Despite all this – plus significant growth in Asia – Mulberry reported losses of £11 million in November 2019. The brand and Coca parted ways in March 2020.
Coca is looking forward to his new chapter: “I am very honoured to return to this prestigious maison, a symbol of travel and an invitation to dream, where imagination meets innovation and the highest standards of excellence,” he said of his appointment. “It’s with great pride that I join Nicolas Ghesquière and the Louis Vuitton teams to further develop the women’s handbag collections. For me, the journey now has come full circle, to the place where I was lucky enough to hone my passion first-hand and learn the fundamentals of leather craftsmanship in the ateliers at Asnières.... an extraordinary laboratory that blends heritage and modernity.”
Which handbag will Coca turn his attention to first? Ghesquière repeatedly serves up surprising new bedfellows for the brand’s Twists, Neos and mini Dauphines – such as spring/summer 2020’s Video Tape clutch. But he’s not afraid of bringing back old classics, such as the Keepall, a vintage weekender style, which Mona Tougaard reintroduced on the autumn/winter 2020 runway. The period of experimentation will no doubt prove interesting to watch – particularly as fashion redefines itself in the aftermath of a global health crisis.
Coca is looking forward to his new chapter: “I am very honoured to return to this prestigious maison, a symbol of travel and an invitation to dream, where imagination meets innovation and the highest standards of excellence,” he said of his appointment. “It’s with great pride that I join Nicolas Ghesquière and the Louis Vuitton teams to further develop the women’s handbag collections. For me, the journey now has come full circle, to the place where I was lucky enough to hone my passion first-hand and learn the fundamentals of leather craftsmanship in the ateliers at Asnières.... an extraordinary laboratory that blends heritage and modernity.”
Which handbag will Coca turn his attention to first? Ghesquière repeatedly serves up surprising new bedfellows for the brand’s Twists, Neos and mini Dauphines – such as spring/summer 2020’s Video Tape clutch. But he’s not afraid of bringing back old classics, such as the Keepall, a vintage weekender style, which Mona Tougaard reintroduced on the autumn/winter 2020 runway. The period of experimentation will no doubt prove interesting to watch – particularly as fashion redefines itself in the aftermath of a global health crisis.
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