American Express

Stuart Vevers’ spring/summer 2018 collection for Coach 1941 is a love letter dedicated to New York and the spirit of her people.

- Gerald Tan

I first spoke to Stuart Vevers two summers ago in Coach’s old showroom located a few blocks away from New York’s Hudson Yards, a gleaming cluster of skyscrapers rising from midtown Manhattan. Fresh from Coach 1941’s debut runway show, a beaming and visibly relaxed Vevers was busy fielding questions from fashion journalists about the momentous catwalk production, which was presented atop the High Line with the company’s yet-to-be completed headquarters towering in the background. “It’s a reality: A beautiful leather coat with a t-shirt; the high-and-low mix that somehow feels youthful and contemporary… Fashion is more and more about the story each individual item tells,” Vevers explained back then of the selection of patchwork leather jackets and floral tea dresses that spelt out his plans for the brand. “I do what I can, what I believe in, and I’m staying true to that.”