\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tBackstage at Coach, spring 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNina Westervelt\/WWD<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\t\u201cOne thing that I felt was really important was to become part of the conversation, to create a conversation so that it\u2019s to make sure that it\u2019s not about extracting from that next generation, but about working together, listening and and connecting on values and things that are important beyond just fashion,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n \n\tHe\u2019s approaching collections from a more personal perspective these days, including his love of youth and counterculture.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think also thinking of the impact that I can have and that design can have beyond creating ready-to-wear and bags, but around culture and sustainability. Things that go beyond maybe what I had considered design before. I\u2019ve become a strong believer in the power of design to make change,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \n\tVevers grew up in Doncaster, England, where he \u201cgot really into fashion through clubbing as a teenager,\u201d he recalls. \u201cOnce I started to become obsessed with dressing up, and with what other people were wearing, that\u2019s when I started to read about designers. It was a world I didn\u2019t know before.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tLondon\u2019s buzzy fashion presence drew him to study at the University of Westminster and soon after graduation in 1996, Vevers secured his first job in New York City at Calvin Klein.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI got the kind of late \u201990s New York, which was pretty amazing. It\u2019s been an inspiration over the last few seasons. For me, it was a bit disconcerting when fashion starts to lap you and people, especially younger people, start to reference a time you were in, but then I actually started to really enjoy it. I was like, \u2018Well, actually, I really know these things. I lived them firsthand, and maybe I can bring a personal perspective to this.\u2019 It was actually those informative [years], and in the end, it turned out to be really interesting,\u201d Vevers explains.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter his time at Calvin Klein, Vevers returned to Europe and held design roles at Bottega Veneta, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton before working as creative director of Mulberry from 2005 to 2007, where he was awarded Accessory Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Design Awards in 2006. His success at putting Mulberry on the map led to LVMH Mo\u00ebt\u00a0Hennessy Louis Vuitton recruiting him as creative director of Loewe in 2007, where he remained for six years before Coach tapped him in 2013.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI was intrigued by New York because it was very different going from like my early 20s to my 40s \u2014 it felt like very different points in my life. There was something exciting about that, but it was Coach,\u201d Vevers recalls of his desire to return to a U.S. brand after years working with European houses. \u201cEven though I hadn\u2019t grown up in the United States, I knew the brand very well. There was always Coach in the inspiration archive at every brand I\u2019d ever worked at.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVevers was drawn to the American leather goods house\u2019s heritage, which was \u201cvery special and very rare,\u201d he says. \u201cIt felt like a new version of a world I knew of the heritage stories, but it was a New York story, an American story, so that made it very different.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn addition, the company\u2019s desire for change \u2014 namely the desire for Vevers to put his personal stamp on the brand and introduce ready-to-wear \u2014 played a big part in his decision to join Coach.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tModels at the Coach fall 2014 presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFairchild Archive\/Penske Media<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tAfter a year at the helm, Vevers introduced the fashion world to the new era of Coach with his debut New York Fashion Week presentation for fall 2014.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat first fashion show was a big moment,\u201d he recalls of the concise 18-look collection of traditional American sportswear, lensed with a fresh, youthful perspective that pushed the heritage accessories brand in a new direction. Leading up to the show, Vevers recalls questions circling in the industry, such as what the expansion into ready-to-wear meant for the company, or if the debut was simply a marketing project.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think it did help that I took my time to get <\/strong>to that first show. It wasn\u2019t just a big brand, just out of the gate putting on a full-scale fashion show. It was actually my fourth collection, but it was still a big moment,\u201d he explains, noting that in those first few seasons, he saw how important it was to experiment with design. \u201cI knew there was a lot on the table and when the response was positive, it gave me the confidence to push forward.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tMegan Thee Stallion for Coach spring 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Coach\/Juergen Teller<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tFast forward to 2020, and <\/strong>Vevers found himself having similar conversations about moving the brand forward amid the global pandemic.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLooking back, the work we did during and coming out of the pandemic was really critical,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n \n\tNot just professionally, but also personally. During that time, Vevers had become a father and many people in the industry were having discussions about taking the time as a \u201cmoment to pause,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n \n\tHowever, after conversations with the-then chief executive officer of Coach parent company Tapestry Inc., Jide Zeitlin, Vevers says he \u201ccame to the conclusion that we should keep working because I felt the world was changing so much that we needed to understand our place in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSo for spring 2021, Vevers debuted a look book photo shoot and accompanying film lensed by Juergen Teller featuring 16 \u201cCoach family\u201d celebrities including Kate Moss, Paloma Elsesser, Bob the Drag Queen, Megan Thee Stallion, Kaia Gerber, Debbie Harry and more. The collection, which Vevers dubbed \u201cCoach Forever,\u201d celebrated the company\u2019s past and future with the introduction of responsible designs, as in upcycled and recycled garments and vegetable-dyed handbags, as well as refreshed styles from the brand\u2019s archive, mixed with new fashions. His follow-up collections continued this ethos and was shown via \u201cCoach TV\u201d fashion films, which had a \u201cbig impact,\u201d Vevers says.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThen, the first live show coming out of the pandemic was really when we started this [current] era of Coach. The collection was a focus of the history, the story of Coach seen through the lens of the next generation,\u201d Vevers says of his fall 2022 runway show. <\/p>\n \n\tSince then, his collections have become more gender fluid, youthful and vintage-inspired for the brand\u2019s uptick of younger clientele.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cDuring my time at Coach, it\u2019s always really important to push forward and to try new things. My big obsession through my whole career has been the next generation, so always listening, discovering, thinking about that,\u201d the creative director told WWD at the time, and he continues to emphasize that through each new collection.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tCharles Melton for Coach\u2019s Soho sneaker campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Coach<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tVevers views his passion for youth culture as both a personal one and a design tool to challenge his creativity each season. He draws inspiration from Coach\u2019s history against the backdrop of American youth and counterculture from the \u201940s to the \u201970s while exploring the perspectives of the next generation.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOne of the things that I find most fascinating when I\u2019m listening and looking to what the next generation is engaged with is, it\u2019s quite often things that initially make me feel quite uncomfortable. They\u2019re coming from a different place and challenging the status quo,\u201d Vevers says. \u201cSometimes the first things they\u2019re drawn to,\u00a0whether it\u2019s their beliefs or the fashion references that they\u2019re excited by, it can sometimes be a bit disconcerting, because it\u2019s different to what has been established.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tFor instance, their attraction to the late \u201990s and early 2000s handbags, rather than the \u201960s and \u201970s Bonnie Cashin-era styles he\u2019s initially drawn to, pushes him to rethink his approach, dig deeper and experiment with design. Trying to understand the next generations\u2019 references is something he\u2019s turned into a \u201ctool\u201d \u2014 a way to challenge himself to think differently about design while honoring the brand\u2019s heritage and archive.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tCharli XCX wearing Coach.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Coach\/Peter Buschmann<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tThe creative director isn\u2019t just scrolling social media, chatting with younger colleagues and observing the next generation\u2019s style on the streets of New York City, where he observes what passersby are wearing at his local flea market on Sunday mornings, but is allowing his collections to become more openly personal.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI think there was maybe a hesitation before about sharing personal inspiration that I don\u2019t have any more,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n \n\tFor instance, recent seasons\u2019 plush animal bag charms and slippers stemmed from his home surroundings of his young children\u2019s toys, while his resort 2026 collection of nostalgia-tinged, festive fashions stemmed from their joy of playing dress-up. His own memories of dressing up in fashions his grandmother would make \u2014 both as a child in theatrical costumes, and later in life, the club-going attire she would design for Vevers and his brother \u2014 also played into the winter collection\u2019s look and feel.<\/p>\n \n\tVevers adds that he and his husband, fashion designer and illustrator Benjamin Seidler, talk about fashion all the time, and while their children are not at an age to \u201ccare about it yet,\u201d they can see how certain clothes give them confidence while their stuffed animal brings forth unfiltered, raw joy.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAs a household, we\u2019re surrounded by things that we love\u00a0and are inspired by,\u201d he says of his creative world that spans beyond the workplace. \u201cBut at the same time, I do have great friends from school and when we get together, we might talk about my my work for a few minutes, but after that, we move on \u2014 it becomes about real stuff, about life. I think that balance is important.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tCoach x WNBA campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Coach<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tAnother aspect that fuels Vevers\u2019 creative process is his interest in sustainability and desire for Coach to make an impact. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI was studying [sustainability] for a long time before I started to be more open about it. I had a fear that I would get it wrong. But what I started to realize was that you have to put yourself out there. You have to try things,\u201d Vevers says. <\/p>\n \n\tOver the last few years, he has shifted his mindset from thinking it his role to encourage others to find sustainable solutions to realizing that \u201ceverything starts with design, so it has to become part of your process,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \n\tVevers is exploring sustainability at Coach today in two ways. The first includes initiatives like Coachtopia and (Re)Loved, where he\u2019s creating spaces where the company can focus on sustainability. The second is utilizing the runway as a place to experiment, as seen through recent collections post-consumer upcycled denim, a category which will soon be released as a capsule at retail and Vevers hopes to scale across multiple seasons in the future.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe counterpoint to that is at a brand with the scale of Coach, it\u2019s really important to me that we scale sustainability, that do things that have a meaningful impact and become a reference in our industry.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s where I\u2019ve shifted over the last few years. The ambition is really raised, and at the same time, I think it\u2019s important to be exploring sustainability from multiple angles,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tStuart Vevers (second right) alongside his husband Benjamin Seidler and children, after being made an OBE at Buckingham Palace on June 26. (Photo by James Manning-WPA Pool\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tIn June, Vevers returned home to England to receive his Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (an OBE) \u2014 an honor for his services and impact to fashion.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat moment was so exciting when you got to the gates of Buckingham Palace and walk behind them after having seen them and gone past it many times and seen it in film and TV. It was really fun because my kids were excited and they were dressed up, but they\u2019re 5. They were just themselves. When we were waiting in a grand reception room, Vivienne fell asleep on a sofa, and she became the talk of the event,\u201d he recalls of the trip, which marked not only his twins\u2019 third time visiting the U.K., but their longest trip to date across London and the north of England.<\/p>\n \n\tVevers describes the day, which included a celebratory party of around 300 people, including Coach chief executive officer Todd Kahn, as \u201cone of the best days of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tElle Fanning for Coach fall 2025 Revive Your Courage campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Coach<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tGoing forward, Vevers says what\u2019s top of mind is continuing to build on what makes Coach unique while coming from a position of strength.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThinking how like we take\u00a0excitement about our brand and\u00a0use it as an opportunity to really become even more true to who we are. To really focus the message, clarify our direction \u2014 to be very, very clear and intentional with the vision,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \n\tThis spans from giving a platform to new modeling faces via Coach\u2019s runway shows, which the brand has been doing since its fall 2022 fashion week outing, to working with celebrity talents who feel true to the brand for campaigns and activations, such as Charles Melton, Storm Reid, Lola Tung, the WNBA league (which the brand signed on as the official luxury handbag partner of in April), and more.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve found the confidence to be who we are. To be confident, to be different, to do things differently to our peers. We\u2019ve found the confidence to be true to who we are, to be authentic and authentically different. When you have that confidence, it starts to become quite instinctive about, for example, who you\u2019re going to work with,\u201d he says. The brand\u2019s fall 2025 campaign features the likes of Elle Fanning, Soyeon and more.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tSoyeon for Coach fall 2025 Revive Your Courage campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Coach<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\t\u201cThat confidence has built over the last few years. It\u2019s powerful. What I think is important about those things is it\u2019s not data driven, it\u2019s instinct and emotion driven. I think that\u2019s probably the thing that has connected with people I love, that they feel the integrity of the decision,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n \n\tThe same approach is applied to design, as seen through styles like the Brooklyn shoulder bag and kitschy bag charms that have captivated clients of all ages.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat\u2019s been really encouraging about what\u2019s resonated is it\u2019s often new ideas. It\u2019s ideas that feel genuinely, authentically Coach, but at the same time new. That\u2019s what my focus has been \u2014 about creating a strong culture of creativity of the importance of design. I think that\u2019s really important in America today \u2014 to show that there\u2019s strength in design, that there\u2019s power and creativity, and that\u2019s what has led to the big breakthroughs at Coach. It\u2019s created a shift in the culture of the organization, because there\u2019s recognition of what we\u2019ve achieved with design.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVevers\u2019 advice for the next generation looking to enter the fashion industry is to,\u201dfind your voice and the things that make you different,\u201d he says, noting he looks fondly on his prior educational years, when he was able to experiment and discover his own passions and beliefs. \u201cIf people ask me for advice, I always say, \u2018Find the thing that you love, that you\u2019re passionate about,\u2019 because then it\u2019s not really work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" List the most successful designers in America over the last decade and the names are likely to be obvious: Ralph, Tommy, Tory, Carolina, Michael\u2026 But one name that should be near the top of the list doesn\u2019t always immediately spring to mind: Stuart Vevers, creative director of Coach. In fact, Coach is one of the few American brands that remains on fire amid the global slowdown in fashion and luxury. Quarter after quarter, the brand continues to drive its parent company Tapestry Inc.\u2019s profits and sales as Vevers\u2019 designs resonate \u2014 not just with millennials but also Gen Z, and now, Alphas. But while Vevers is a two-time CFDA award winner \u2014 for Accessory Designer of the Year in 2017 and for the Innovation Award last year \u2014 his industry profile remains more discreet than newer, smaller designers. Perhaps that partially stems from his personality \u2014 the British transplant personifies all one associates with citizens of the Sceptered Isle: low-key, polite, cautious about revealing too much of themselves until they truly get to know you (which, generally, meant at least not for five years or more). Yet Vevers is clearly deeply passionate about his craft, and thoughtful about what fashion and design mean and how it can contribute to society. On Monday, he will unveil his spring 2026 collection at the downtown Pier 36. He describes the forthcoming lineup as having a \u201cstrong New York feeling,\u201d a celebration of what makes Coach \u201cdifferent and authentic,\u201d and one that reflects the fashion industry\u2019s current moment of change. \u201cWe\u2019re all digging deep in terms of our meaning in the world, and meaning in what we do. Therefore it did feel like an important season to push forward, try new ideas and be bold,\u201d he says. Throughout his 12-year tenure with the heritage American brand, Vevers has transformed the business by introducing ready-to-wear and modernizing its handbags for the next generation of fashion enthusiasts. Vevers\u2019 approach is to continually push forward while looking ba…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Backstage](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/coach-fw25-bsb-NW-21.jpg?w=300\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tVevers\u2019 Beginnings\t<\/h2>\n
![\"Models](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/coach-fall-2024-wwd-03.jpg?w=300\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tMemorable Moments\t<\/h2>\n
![\"Megan](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/coach-s21-01.jpg?w=200\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>![\"Charles](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Charles-Melton-Coach.jpeg?w=300\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tUtilizing Passion as a Tool\t<\/h2>\n
![\"Charli](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Charli-XCX-Wears-Coach_P.C-Peter-Buschmann_Backgrid.jpg?w=200\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>![\"A](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Group-Campaign-Still_WNBA_Coach.jpg?w=300\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tMaking an Impact\t<\/h2>\n
![\"LONDON,](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2221440328.jpg?w=200\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>![\"EMBARGOED](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Coach-Fall-2025-Elle_Coach-Revive-Your-Courage-Campaign_Brooklyn_P.C.-Elaine-Constantine.jpg?w=300\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tLooking Forward\t<\/h2>\n
![\"EMBARGOED](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Coach-Fall-2025-Soyeon_Coach-Revive-Your-Courage-Campaign_Loved-Chain-Tabby_P.C.-Elaine-Constantine.jpg?w=300\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>