There was a certain poetry to the runway show Coach presented in Shanghai on Thursday evening. In December 2018, a year before the thought of destination shows would seem a different world, Stuart Vevers staged a massive pre-collection show in the city. Now, as China has returned to a post-pandemic normal – and the rest of us are slowly catching up – Coach was back. On a video call from New York, he reminisced about the energy Shanghai had given him back in 2018, and how he wanted to continue his conversation with the city. “To me, it’s a very modern city. The contemporary art scene is amazing. I wanted to tap into the youth of the city. We wanted people with great personalities and great hair cuts.”
Coach is rethinking its approach
Since the pandemic, Vevers has been re-philosophising his approach to Coach. At its roots is a sense of anti-obsolescence, which has seen him “recycle” pieces from previous collections in new ones and promote an overall message of design longevity. He infused every aspect of his winter show with those ideas, expanding on last season’s Coach TV presentation format as well as previous collections. Billed as Coach TV Live from Shanghai, the physical audience saw a mix of runway models, roller-skaters and clips on screens of Coach’s illustrious crew of ambassadors mimicking televised fashion reportage from the 1980s and ’90s, capturing the nostalgic TV energy Vevers loves.
Coach TV continues
Coach TV launched last season to rave reviews. “We had such a great response that I felt like there was a lot more to explore. And in the future,” Vevers said. His second instalment featured the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Lin, Yang Zi, Kōki, Xiao Wen Ju, Rickey Thompson, Ke Fan and Ding Na, playing to the current social media mood for all things retro and referential. “I think there’s something comforting about it. Last time, I was most concerned if young people were going to get these references, but whether they did or not, we had a really strong response. I think some of the things even felt new. They didn’t know them,” Vevers said. “Now, so many eras are being referenced at the same time. There’s multiple layering. I’m seeing something referenced from the ’90s that I remember as originally being from the ’70s.”
Coach TV launched last season to rave reviews. “We had such a great response that I felt like there was a lot more to explore. And in the future,” Vevers said. His second instalment featured the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Lin, Yang Zi, Kōki, Xiao Wen Ju, Rickey Thompson, Ke Fan and Ding Na, playing to the current social media mood for all things retro and referential. “I think there’s something comforting about it. Last time, I was most concerned if young people were going to get these references, but whether they did or not, we had a really strong response. I think some of the things even felt new. They didn’t know them,” Vevers said. “Now, so many eras are being referenced at the same time. There’s multiple layering. I’m seeing something referenced from the ’90s that I remember as originally being from the ’70s.”
The collection was rooted in ideas of longevity
Like his presentation format, Vevers’s collection is founded in a back-to-the-future ideology. “I’ve been challenging seasonality. We’re very deliberately building from fall, taking the original mood and references and layering on top of that to the extent that we’re actually re-presenting some of my favourite pieces from fall as part of this collection. We’re also revisiting silhouettes and doing them in new materials,” he said. Riffing on the timeless glamour of the après-ski wardrobe, he gave his classic Coach shearling coats new life with retro graphic nylon sportswear, and a sense of cocktail-wear that culminated in a sheer lamé dress. It was optimistic awareness dressing for a time when we can’t wait to paint the town again, but will be doing so with a certain caution.
Like his presentation format, Vevers’s collection is founded in a back-to-the-future ideology. “I’ve been challenging seasonality. We’re very deliberately building from fall, taking the original mood and references and layering on top of that to the extent that we’re actually re-presenting some of my favourite pieces from fall as part of this collection. We’re also revisiting silhouettes and doing them in new materials,” he said. Riffing on the timeless glamour of the après-ski wardrobe, he gave his classic Coach shearling coats new life with retro graphic nylon sportswear, and a sense of cocktail-wear that culminated in a sheer lamé dress. It was optimistic awareness dressing for a time when we can’t wait to paint the town again, but will be doing so with a certain caution.
Coach will be back on the NYFW runway in September
Speaking of the future, the Shanghai show was just Coach’s first step on the road to fashion show freedom. In September, if all goes to plan, Vevers will be back on the runway at New York Fashion Week in front of a live audience. “Fingers crossed,” he smiled.
Speaking of the future, the Shanghai show was just Coach’s first step on the road to fashion show freedom. In September, if all goes to plan, Vevers will be back on the runway at New York Fashion Week in front of a live audience. “Fingers crossed,” he smiled.
No comments:
Post a Comment