On June 28, Coach unveiled one of its most exciting art-inspired collaborations yet: a capsule collection collaboration with the estate of Tom Wesselmann. Creative director Stuart Vevers drew upon the iconography of the American Pop artist's work to create the special-edition collection, which illustrates a playful and optimistic core of the brand. Kicking off the launch was Stranger Things star and musician Maya Hawke—the first talent to wear the collection anf featured on the summer cover of Cultured, which was released in tandem with the global launch. In celebration, the fashion house partied with friends new and old at its flagship boutique in New York's SoHo neighborhood that Tuesday evening and hosted an intimate dinner at chic Italian restaurant King nearby.
Founded in New York in 1941, Coach is influenced by the inclusive and heroic aspects of its birth city, and crafts timeless essentials to last a lifetime. The new Coach x Tom Wesselmann collection honors Coach’s quintessential silhouettes and staple items with an added twist of graphics such as lips and flowers, sequins, embellishments and embroidery. Classic pieces like denim jackets, trench coats, Oxford shirts and bags became the canvas of the late Pop artist's distinctive works, creating a capsule of eccentric luxury.
To fête the new collection, the brand transformed its SoHo boutique into a gallery-like showcase. Wesselmann is known for vibrant colors and everyday objects depicted at an extreme scale, a sentiment playfully exhibited in the shop-turned-gallery space as a series of oversized cut-outs of Wesselmann motifs. Party-goers like stylist Brandonn St. Regis, artist Beaujangless, writer Harry Hill, model Olivia Ponton and director Andréa Ormeño-Delph enjoyed the interactive and digital experience, browsing the clothing and accessories while sipping custom cocktails, nibbling on light bites and listening to tunes spun by DJs Stonie Blue and Kitty Ca$h. That same night, Vevers himself joined a group of dinner party guests including Hannah Einbinder, Ziwe, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chase Sui Wonders, Wisdom Kaye, Mickalene Thomas, Kimberly Drew, Parker Kit Hill, Brooke Wise, Nicola Vassell and Hannah Traore for a seasonal southern Italian meal at King. This diverse group of friends of the fashion house continued the festivities through lively conversations in between bites of delicious pasta.
