Yesterday in London’s Lindley Hall, creative director Stuart Vevers presented Coach 1941’s Spring 2017 menswear collection. Since Coach has made the move into the luxury space, they’ve been gaining traction with celebrities, and at the latest show, Kate Moss sat front and center alongside fellow model Jordan Barratt. The two watched as pop-culture Americana came down the runway in spades—Hawaiian tourist shirts, James Dean-esque red leather jackets, rodeo accessories and even fuzzy dice imagery made its way into the lineup. Clearly it wasn’t hyperbole when Vevers said that Coach was going to be celebrating American culture this year.
Playing on the idea of setting out on the open road, the collection focused on a lot of leather jackets, which were detailed with zippers, studs, buckles and hand-painted designs by artist Gary Baseman. His sketches were found on bomber, varsity and shearling jackets, t-shirts and pants, and even on the ankles of models like tattoos. If images weren’t painted onto a piece they were worked into the fabric through embroidery, patches or prints. Cowboy hats, skulls, ‘90s smiley faces and hibiscus flowers covered everything from trousers to bags.
The iconography on its own was enough to make the lineup an Instagram-worthy collection, but Vevers’ use of color and cut made the season feel elevated. The choice of imagery paired with heavy leather motorcycle jackets, ankle-cut pants and studded creepers gave the whole show a very ‘50s vibe. Of course it was his use of the American Graffiti color palette of red, mustard, black and olive that really drove the inspiration home. The Coach man is a modern greaser, a snapshot of a moment in time that still influences the styles and trends of contemporary fashion. To take his well-deserved bow at the end of the show, Vevers wore a top emblazoned with another American icon—Mickey Mouse—a nod to the upcoming Disney x Coach collection.
