Coachtopia, by Coach: A Fashion Thought

Coachtopia’, the new, ‘green’ sister brand to the already established luxury brand Coach, launched at the end of last month. With a range of Y2K-esque handbags with unique patterns, an abundance of colour and Coachtopia branding, the collection is aimed towards a Gen Z audience.

The products within Coachtopia are said to be designed with waste in mind. All bags, accessories and clothing have been made from left-over scraps of previous Coach creations, minimising their use of brand-new leather and materials and using what already exists in their grasp.

Whilst this step towards environmentally friendly fashion for Coach has been long in the process from creative director Stuart Vevers, who has in recent seasons included recycled materials for his designs, it raises the question: does this move contradict itself?

Fashion and sustainability can seem like a contradiction, as even when a product is made from old designs or more sustainable materials, they’re still contributing to mass consumerism. Mass consumerism, people needing the newest, most sought-after product, alongside constant changes in fashion trends, contributes and claims some of the biggest responsibility for the negative impact that fashion has on the environment. By designing Coachtopia, Coach will have contributed in some way to mass consumerism, creating more piece’s people can buy and then discard when they’re done with the style.

Alternatively, it’s important to recognise that every brand must start somewhere to become environmentally friendly. With a mid-range, luxury brand like Coach taking the necessary steps to reduce, re-use and recycle old materials in order to create, it becomes much more preferable than a brand focusing solely on the production of brand-new products.

Vevers said it best to British Vogue:

"This is sometimes an intimidating area because you do one initiative that's positive and [people] are quick to point out the things you're doing that aren't,"

"But I truly believe we have to face this. We have to put ourselves out there because every small step forward counts."

Fashion has a long way to go to be anywhere near green or environmentally friendly. As luxury brands tackle how to get there, it'll be interesting to see how they go about it.

Bibliography:

• About: Coach® (2023) About | COACH®. Available at: https://uk.coach.com/shop/coachtopia/about

• Garcia-Furtado, L. (2023) With the launch of Coachtopia, coach commits to a future of circularity and Sustainability, British Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/coach-sustainable-brand-coachtopia