After 16 years at Coach, Reed Krakoff has announced that he'll leave his role as president and executive creative director of the accessories brand next June.
We're pretty sure Coach and Saint James have heard our Summer-styling prayers, as evidenced by the new limited-edition collaboration between the two iconic labels. Translation: the nautical Breton stripe — a staple print of Saint James's heritage — takes shape on Coach's bag silhouettes, as well as on an assortment of must-have beach essentials. Canvas duffel bags, colorblocked panama hats, a long sleeveless dress, a drawstring top, and a retro-inspired bikini all made the collaboration cut, and each piece rightfully belongs somewhere near the sand and surf. This collaboration hits just in time for Summer's impending getaways, and with prices ranging from $98 for a Legacy Weekend wristlet to $498 for a leather and canvas tote, you can actually shop the Saint James for Coach collection online and in select Coach stores now. Click on to see some of our favorite pieces, right this way.
Coach held its third annual Evening of Cocktails and Shopping to benefit the Children's Defense Fund in Santa Monica, CA, last evening, and the event drew out some enviable style from a few of our favorite celebs. Katy Perry stole the night in Thakoon, Hailee Steinfeld showed us her take on black and white, and January Jones and Chloë Sevigny served up Spring florals. It's all in today's Fashion Flash! On Allison McNamara: Club Monaco top, Nashelle necklace, Bebe shorts.
January Jones, Katy Perry, and Sophia Bush made up only a fraction of the star-studded crowd at Coach's third annual Evening of Cocktails and Shopping last night. And, in effect, the brightly colored separates, boldly printed pants, downright flirty floral dresses, and covet-worthy accessories to hit the red carpet — make that a grass-covered one — provided a surplus of Spring styling inspiration. Whether you're more of a blazer-for-all-seasons girl (look to Nikki Reed) or partial to a colorblocked cocktail dress moment (hello, Sophia Bush), this benefit bash certainly had enough ensembles to keep even the most finicky of style setters happy. Click on for the complete who-wore-what rundown, including looks we want to steal from Kate Mara, Hailee Steinfeld, Milla Jovovich, and Chloë Sevigny.
Warmer weather is finally on the way, and there's no better way to freshen up your Spring look than with the addition of a white shoe. Heels, brogues, and sneakers in optic white were seen all over the Spring 2013 runways, and they're surprisingly easy to mix in with the clothes and accessories you already love. Herein, five pairs of must-have white shoes perfect for any occasion. Click play to watch.
Coach isn't just about handbags anymore. With what brand chairman and chief executive officer Lew Frankfort described to WWD as a "shifting marketplace" and disappointing quarterly sales, Coach is responding with its own transformation — a marked change to grow its footwear, outerwear, jewelry, and apparel, as well as to debut a new store look. It's a strategy aimed to develop the Coach label in the same vein as Tory Burch or Michael Kors, aka the big lifestyle players and the competitors currently chipping away at Coach's (still lion's) share of the North American handbag market. It's also a targeted effort to appeal to the lifestyle, rather than the needs of the consumer. According to Reed Krakoff, the brand’s president and executive creative director, the new approach is about speaking to the consumer from an “emotional way” rather than a “functional one," and that concept will mean both a revolution of product, beginning with their footwear line, and extending to the store layout and visual displays.
Beginning in August, stores will house all retail categories from apparel and accessories to footwear and handbags, while footwear itself will become a more prominent part of about 100 stores for starters this Spring, and in-store shoe salons will become a part of an estimated 50 Coach flagship stores. But, maybe the most telling revamp for the accessories-focused brand is the hiring of Sandra Hill as the head of women’s design. With 16 years as creative design director of women's wear at Paul Smith and most recently as vice president of Bonobos, Hill's presence confirms the brand's strategic shift to develop its apparel. Says Krakoff, “We have a world-class-level design team now. We are creating a new expression for the brand. Our design process is entirely different. Fashion is about a dream. We really have to dream a bit.” We'll dream, too — mainly about what we'll be shopping from the new Coach collections. What's your take: are you excited to see what the changes will bring?
Source: Coach
Mom-to-be Malin Akerman stepped out in West Hollywood working floral leggings and and a black leather jacket to create a perfectly edgy weekend look. The actress paired her outfit with a gray high-low tee and Fiorentini+Baker biker boots ($585), then accessorized with a few classics: a black Coach crossbody bag ($168) and Ray-Ban Wayfarers ($150). Whether you're pregnant or not, mimic Malin's sweet-slash-edgy style with a black leather jacket, gray tee, floral leggings, and her exact buckled boots.
Before she was a major name in American fashion, Anna Sui was a little girl whose mother dressed her "like a doll." Which means getting a military vehicle as a Christmas present probably wasn't on brand.
"As a little kid, we used to go to my father's fraternity, and they'd have a Christmas party," Sui told us at a party for her collaboration with Coach last month. "One year I got a truck — an Army truck — and I just thought, 'boy that's really a gyp!' Then many years later I found out that this uncle spent his own money and bought everybody's kid a present. So I think it was just a mix up, you know, an oversight, whatever. But I was really disappointed back then on that day."
Sui added that she'll be spending the holidays with her family in Bloomfield Hills, MI. "I love the holidays because I have nine nieces and nephews, so it's very Christmas-y to buy presents and toys," she said. "I'm hoping that I can give my nieces some of these bags, but I don't know what I wish to receive." Hopefully it won't be another truck.
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