Coach’s Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear collection was all about abstract art, pop heritage and styles from the past and present. Stuart Vevers, the creative director for Coach, envisioned a 1980s art scene in New York City where it’s all about creativity and self-expression. The collection incorporates artistic influences with pieces like the “Buy-It-Now bag” that contains brush stroke detailing and other pieces that were in collaboration with the estate of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
To further push the idea of “pop heritage” the show opened with live music from garage punk band, The Coathangers, where they started with a cover of “One Way or Another” by Blondie. They set up their gear right in the middle of the runway while the models strutted around them. As the show was nearing the end, Blondie’s very own Debbie Harry surprised the crowd by singing “Dreaming” alongside The Coathangers for the finale.
As for the wardrobe, Coach’s Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear collection consisted mainly of bold primary colors, layered looks, leather and fur. The collection was very heavy on texture and, of course, abstract art with pieces featuring works from Jean-Michel Basquiat. There’s a vintage “cool-kid” vibe that was conveyed with casual, laid back pieces like sneakers and beanies, yet it is also modern and preppy with leather textures and big overcoats. Leather garments are a big trend this year, more specifically in overcoats and trousers, and has been seen in other high-fashion runway shows and fast fashion markets like Zara. It definitely has some vintage influences from the 80s and 90s and is also making a comeback in the fashion industry! Small handbags were featured and varied in shapes like circles, half-circles, cylinders, triangles and squares. Vintage prints like the legacy stripe made a comeback in this collection tying in the 1980s vibe that influenced Stuart Vevers.
Overall, everything from live music to the production, to the detail in the garments was extremely successful in conveying the theme of pop heritage and abstract art. Stuart Vevers was very intentional with the collection and how he wanted to deliver the creativity to fans. One of my favorite looks is one that featured a long, multi-colored fur coat paired with chocolate brown baggy leather shorts and a cobalt blue shirt underneath. I absolutely love how the colors compliment each other and how comfortable and versatile the pieces are. I’ll be dreaming about that fur coat!