15 posts tagged "Coach"
Emma Hill to Depart Mulberry
Emma Hill, the British designer responsible for the ever-popular Alexa bag, will be parting ways with Mulberry. According to WWD, Hill, who had served as the label’s creative director since 2008, reportedly made the break because of creative and operational differences with management. Having formerly designed handbags for the likes of Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein, Hill did a great deal to build up the Mulberry label, focusing on accessories, English heritage, and clothes that catered to a sophisticated brand of whimsy. (And, of course, who could forget those little dogs she’s become so fond of using in her runway shows?) Due to the fact that her departure comes while Coach is on the prowl for Reed Krakoff’s replacement, the rumor mill suggests that Hill might be up for the job—there’s also speculation that the likes of Clare Waight Keller, 2013 CFDA Accessories Designer of the Year Phillip Lim, and the already very busy Marc Jacobs, among others, are being considered for the position. Hill’s official Mulberry end date is still undetermined, but she has already wrapped up the Spring ’14 collection, which will show in London on September 15.
Krakoff To Exit Coach
In June 2014, after 16 years at Coach, Reed Krakoff will step down from his post as president and executive creative director in order to focus on his growing eponymous luxury line, reports WWD. “I’m excited to focus exclusively on the RK brand and to embark on the next phase of my career,” said the designer. Chairman and chief executive officer Lew Frankfort credits Krakoff with helping Coach evolve from an American leather goods house to a leading international brand. Coach, which announced that it was repositioning itself as a lifestyle label this past January, is currently on the hunt for a new creative director. The house also revealed that it is looking into “strategic options” for the Reed Krakoff range—which it owns and launched in 2010—that may include a “sale to a group in which Krakoff would participate.”
Of Bags And Babies
While a certain set is still hitting the red carpet in Cannes, producer and director J.J. Abrams, wife Katie McGrath, and Coach put forth a decidedly more low-key affair, benefiting the Children’s Defense Fund, last night in Santa Monica. “J.J. and Katie are really known in the entertainment circle as people who really walk the talk,” Mario Bello praised of the night’s co-hosts. And like Bello, Ali Larter (pictured, left) became a supporter of the cause, which provides advocacy for children in need, when she had her own son. “As a mother, you begin to realize how important a cause that supports children is.”
While the likes of Ellen Pompeo, Malin Ackerman (pictured, right), and Kristen Bell enjoyed the rooftop setting at Bad Robot (the headquarters of J.J.’s production company), plenty of guests were busy buying the special edition of the brand’s iconic duffel sac, created in fuschia and teal, with proceeds supporting the charity. And for most, the talk of the evening was how integral a role Coach played in their first “luxury” experience. Jordana Brewster received a bucket bag for her 13th birthday and Alexis Bledel told Style.com that her first Coach bag at 13 meant “you were actually getting older and were kind of a grown-up lady.” For Olivia Munn, the meaning ran deep. “I’m first-generation American and all of my aunts when they first came here had these Coach bags,” she said of her vintage collection that now runs 30-deep. “It was something that they bought that made them feel like they were part of America.”
On Our Radar: Coach X James Nares
Earlier this year, Coach teamed up with British linocut artist Hugo Guinness on a collection of leather goods. To follow suit, Coach has brought on New York-based artist James Nares for its latest handbag collaboration.
“I was aware of the success of Reed [Krakoff]‘s previous collaborations with other artists whose work I admire, and was excited by the prospect of doing something,” the painter and filmmaker tells Style.com. “So, naturally I didn’t hesitate when Reed asked me if I would be interested in collaborating on a project.”
Nares translated his signature single-stroke paintings to fashion by imprinting double-layered white canvas Coach totes with five of his brushstroke pieces (complete with his signature on the Coach leather story patch). The limited-edition bags ($798), available in black, blue, green, pink, and red, will be available in select Coach stores and on Coach.com on Friday.
Learning To Reed
When Coach CEO Lewis Frankfort made the controversial decision to hire Reed Krakoff (pictured) as the company’s executive creative director in 1996, the board told him, “It’s your funeral you’re planning if you hire that kid.” Just over 15 years later, Krakoff has risen to the role of president (while retaining his original title as well) and is credited with steering the company from a $500 million American powerhouse to a $5 billion global brand. “The funny thing is that no one ever asked me if I’d designed a bag before,” said Krakoff Wednesday night at New York’s French Institute/Alliance Française, where he delivered the first of this season’s Fashion Talks series. (Next up at FIAF: Stefano Pilati and Dries Van Noten.)
After he was introduced by Elle editor in chief Robbie Myers, Krakoff described both his work at Coach and at the namesake designer label he created in 2010. The distinction he drew was between working with just a handful of designers at Reed Krakoff versus working as Coach’s “design architect” overseeing a team of hundreds (though he assured the audience that he personally approves every piece). “It’s very much like finding the code, or an algorithm for success,” he said of designing for Coach. “It’s based on balancing what came before to understand what must come next. It’s really a giant puzzle.” As for designing his own label, he admitted that he sometimes has to edit himself. “You need to be able to do what the business needs but keep it in line with what people will like. You can’t always just do what’s best for the creative good,” he said.