On Coach and Its Pivotal Revival
By Lizzie Schneider
An iconic logo, seen swinging from the arm of many celebrities: Coach. In early 2020, the brand needed a refresh. From coach — a brand that faded into the background — to COACH — a brand that is iconic in itself, the company has made one of the classiest, most pivotal turnarounds that brought the brand back from virtual ruin, and made it coveted and sought after again.
When one thinks of the ‘90s and early 2000s, a few brands come to mind: Dooney and Bourke, Prada nylon, and, of course, Coach. Capitalizing on the logomania trend of the Y2K era and with more accessible price point bags starting at $250, it was Coach’s time to shine. The look that comes to mind is a reality television star (namely Paris Hilton or Snooki from Jersey Shore) rocking a slouchy Coach baguette bag studded with logos and paired with a layered t-shirt, skinny scarf and oversized sunglasses. Unfortunately, the brand was not alone. When Michael Kors and Kate Spade adapted their business model to fit the needs of Y2K style and price points around 2005, Coach’s star began to fall.
Logomania itself is rooted in the ‘90s street style movement. Used to describe any item saturated in a brand’s monogram or logo, it is back and more popular than ever, especially with the desire for self promotion on social media platforms that this digital era has brought about. Influencers have taken logomania and run with it in order to add content and inspire viewers with their dreamy, luxurious lives. Y2K style is heavily influenced by the incorporation of logomania which also brings up the point of endurance beyond the current trend cycle. The nostalgia associated with Y2K and the fact that it is trendy 20 years later speaks to the value of a strong aesthetic and message. Coach’s slogan behind the first ever collection: to make things as lightweight as possible, as simple as possible, as punchy as possible and as inexpensive as possible truly carries on today.
In June 2013, Coach named Stuart Vevers the new creative director of the brand in a bid to turn the trends around. In the lead-up to this change, stock had fallen and been traded sideways, yet it was only at $56 per share (Symington, 2013). Fast forward to 2022, stock is still low, however, the potential for growth is there. Vevers’s background lies in fashion design and has been prominent at Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and Bottega Venetta, thus his vision for Coach has been shaped by years of watching and learning to see what can vault a brand to success.
How can they do this? The utilization of social media marketing and an overhaul of the classic “Coach” silhouette.
Y2K is a style glamorizing and reviving trends from the early 2000s and Gen Z cannot get enough of it. The biggest trend is that of the shoulder baguette bag, which Coach brought back in a stunning fashion. For example, the most popular purse, the Pillow Tabby Shoulder Bag 26, went viral and has been seen worn publicly by Jennifer Lopez, the company spokeswoman. The bag was originally released in the 1970s and relaunched in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the bag became as soft as the name lends itself.
Not only has Coach adapted to social media trends, but the brand also reimagined other classic silhouettes. For instance, Coach collaborated with popular streetwear brands like Champion in which the Champion monogram became the classic “C” clasp of the bags with leather bearing in classic Champion colors of black, blue and red. Additionally, the brand has started to work towards DEI initiatives, that were previously nonexistent, with the release of an LGBTQIA+ pride collection for pride month. Featuring the iconic brown canvas monogram colorway with a rainbow overhaul, footwear, and quilted leather rainbow stripes, Coach hasn’t stopped at purses.
A makeup collaboration with Sephora has vaulted the brand’s name into the beauty community and collaborations with influencers as well as celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Addison Rae has brought them back from the ashes. The sky is the limit for Coach right now, but one thing is for certain. Their relevancy is unparalleled and their legacy is cemented as a staple of accessible American fashion.
When one thinks of the ‘90s and early 2000s, a few brands come to mind: Dooney and Bourke, Prada nylon, and, of course, Coach. Capitalizing on the logomania trend of the Y2K era and with more accessible price point bags starting at $250, it was Coach’s time to shine. The look that comes to mind is a reality television star (namely Paris Hilton or Snooki from Jersey Shore) rocking a slouchy Coach baguette bag studded with logos and paired with a layered t-shirt, skinny scarf and oversized sunglasses. Unfortunately, the brand was not alone. When Michael Kors and Kate Spade adapted their business model to fit the needs of Y2K style and price points around 2005, Coach’s star began to fall.
Logomania itself is rooted in the ‘90s street style movement. Used to describe any item saturated in a brand’s monogram or logo, it is back and more popular than ever, especially with the desire for self promotion on social media platforms that this digital era has brought about. Influencers have taken logomania and run with it in order to add content and inspire viewers with their dreamy, luxurious lives. Y2K style is heavily influenced by the incorporation of logomania which also brings up the point of endurance beyond the current trend cycle. The nostalgia associated with Y2K and the fact that it is trendy 20 years later speaks to the value of a strong aesthetic and message. Coach’s slogan behind the first ever collection: to make things as lightweight as possible, as simple as possible, as punchy as possible and as inexpensive as possible truly carries on today.
In June 2013, Coach named Stuart Vevers the new creative director of the brand in a bid to turn the trends around. In the lead-up to this change, stock had fallen and been traded sideways, yet it was only at $56 per share (Symington, 2013). Fast forward to 2022, stock is still low, however, the potential for growth is there. Vevers’s background lies in fashion design and has been prominent at Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and Bottega Venetta, thus his vision for Coach has been shaped by years of watching and learning to see what can vault a brand to success.
How can they do this? The utilization of social media marketing and an overhaul of the classic “Coach” silhouette.
Y2K is a style glamorizing and reviving trends from the early 2000s and Gen Z cannot get enough of it. The biggest trend is that of the shoulder baguette bag, which Coach brought back in a stunning fashion. For example, the most popular purse, the Pillow Tabby Shoulder Bag 26, went viral and has been seen worn publicly by Jennifer Lopez, the company spokeswoman. The bag was originally released in the 1970s and relaunched in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the bag became as soft as the name lends itself.
Not only has Coach adapted to social media trends, but the brand also reimagined other classic silhouettes. For instance, Coach collaborated with popular streetwear brands like Champion in which the Champion monogram became the classic “C” clasp of the bags with leather bearing in classic Champion colors of black, blue and red. Additionally, the brand has started to work towards DEI initiatives, that were previously nonexistent, with the release of an LGBTQIA+ pride collection for pride month. Featuring the iconic brown canvas monogram colorway with a rainbow overhaul, footwear, and quilted leather rainbow stripes, Coach hasn’t stopped at purses.
A makeup collaboration with Sephora has vaulted the brand’s name into the beauty community and collaborations with influencers as well as celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Addison Rae has brought them back from the ashes. The sky is the limit for Coach right now, but one thing is for certain. Their relevancy is unparalleled and their legacy is cemented as a staple of accessible American fashion.