Coach’s Spring/Summer 2024 Show Delivers The Next NYC Uniform

Coach’s Spring/Summer 2024 runway show, held at the Celeste Bartos Forum inside the New York Public Library, marked Creative Director Stuart Vevers 10 years at the company, which is no small feat considering the leadership turnover rate at other luxury fashion brands. Given the monumental milestone, Vevers wanted his latest collection to reflect his personal journey and the looks that inspired him as a fledgling designer coming up in ‘90s NYC.

“I remember the girls at the Pyramid Club who were dancing in a slip dress — so this is the slip dress I remember,” he said in a press statement, alluding to the sheer frocks on the runway and the delicate, asymmetrical minis that resembled vintage store finds. “Once you have created that sketch, you can do whatever you want to bring it to life, and you can showcase your know-how as you do it,” he adds, explaining that the designs aren’t meant to be literal copies of the original looks he’d seen, but rather contemporary interpretations of signature silhouettes of the past. Another source of inspiration came from the “cool young female execs” who mastered the art of power suiting, which also caught his eye back in the day. Vevers served up his own 2024 renditions via buttery leather blazers and suits that were intentionally oversized and boxy.

Speaking of leather, similar to the Fall/Winter 2023 collection, the heavier fabric had yet another major moment in the Spring 2024 lineup, popping up as undergarments under gauzy dresses, as sleek long coats, and in bag form, of course. (Coach, after all, was founded in 1941 as a family-run leather workshop in Manhattan.) And while a fire-engine red leather dress in 80-degree weather may not have the same appeal as a breezier linen frock in a heatwave, the looks made a convincing case to embrace the material on a balmy day.

Vevers shared in a statement that the brand “repurposed leatherware and denim” from older collections to create the new silhouettes you see on the runway. The slips, too, were made from deadstock lace and fabric from Coach’s previous drops, then dyed with botanical-based formulas. Perhaps their eco-friendly practice of upcycling explains why several of these aforementioned pieces harkened back to Vevers’ Fall 2023 collection, including the shredded knit dresses. (When something is that good, why not do it twice?)

As models debuted look after look on the runway, we’d be remiss to not mention the star of the show (at least for all the shoe lovers out there): jelly pastel flats. The gummy footwear was styled with black blazers over sheer tops for an adult take on a childhood staple. So, if you were keen on the jelly sandal trend a few summers ago, you’re likely going to enjoy the newest iteration. Additionally, colorful patent high tops, in shades of red, pink, and eggplant broke up the lineup of black moto ankle boots stomping through the venue.

As for the handbags, which Coach is always known for, major standout were definitely the extra large totes, the latest iterations of the iconic Tabby bag in poppy shades like vivid purple, and the whimsical duck and dog bone-shaped purses. Several of these are available to shop right now through the label’s see-now-buy-now model.

Vevers shared a small glimpse into how he came up with the new bag designs in a statement, saying: “for the first time I didn’t look to the archive for handbag designs. I just thought, ‘What would a Coach bag be?’ The answer is many things, from the playful to the classical. But they all share a sense of stripping things down to the essential design and quality, which makes them likely to be around in the next 80 years, just like their vintage Coach counterparts are worn today.”

Indeed, almost every piece in this collection stands the test of time. See several of TZR’s favorite looks from the collection, below.