Skate Culture Takes The Spotlight At Coach’s Fall/Winter 2026 Show

For a heritage fashion house, staying relevant amid generational shifts and evolving consumer tastes is no small task. But under Stuart Vevers’ direction, Coach, an 85-year-old brand, has pulled off the feat, as evidenced by its Fall/Winter 2026 collection. On Wednesday, the beloved creative director helped kick off NYFW with a lineup that fused decades-old silhouettes with edgy, modern detailing.

Vevers paid homage to The Wizard of Oz after watching the 1939 film with his children over the holidays. “With its transition from haunting Film Noir sepia to brilliant, Oz-ian Technicolor, this season channels a shared sense of optimism as we follow a new generation into their next adventure," Vevers wrote in a lengthy Instagram caption. “Using crafts with a sense of history, we continue a conversation that connects youth countercultures across decades and geographies. We embrace the continuous reinvention of what it means to be young and forward-looking, resourceful and creative.”

The movie’s influence was woven into the collection’s palette. Staged at Cipriani in downtown Manhattan, the show opened with moody grays and inky blacks before color emerged at Look 12 — a clear nod to Dorothy’s transition from monochromatic Kansas to the bright land of Oz. From there, a parade of color followed, including cherry red, soft blue, and splashes of deep violet.

Skate culture served as a throughline throughout the collection. Models were clad in grungy gray and black plaid jackets, distressed Bermuda shorts, and high-top sneakers, as if they had just come straight from the skate park. Other athletic references took shape by way of a ‘50s-inspired varsity jacket, as well as bags crafted from a vintage football and an old baseball mitt.

Speaking of bags, leather carryalls, the heritage label’s bread and butter, were out in full force. Coach’s signature turn-and-lock brass hardware, introduced by its first designer, Bonnie Cashin, in the late ‘60s, was seen in the form of its new Kisslock Frame bag, a silhouette poised to go viral on TikTok. (It’s already shoppable, BTW.) Elsewhere, models had oversized leather totes slung over their shoulders.

Cementing its status as a leader in upcycled design, the New York-based label also broadened its repurposed capsule, showing denim made from post-consumer fabrics and trenches crafted from chinos. The pieces were intentionally designed to look lived-in, underscoring Vevers’ longstanding affinity for vintage fashion.

“Until now it’s been about the technique of a home-sewn quilt, the burnishing of a vegetable-tanned leather or the particular fade on a pair of jeans,” Vevers said in the caption, referencing his design approach. “But now, as I pull out my older daughter’s clothes and prepare them for her baby sister, I begin to appreciate the meaning of a mark or a tear that’s almost like a love note from one sister to another. They’re not going to bethe same woman, but they’re sharing something that touches them from the very beginning.”

The front row mirrored Coach’s youthful clientele, with People We Meet on Vacation’s Emily Bader and Marty Supreme’s Odessa A'zion in attendance. Established A-listers like Coach ambassador Elle Fanning were there, too, dressed in a white slip dress enlivened with star motifs and a brown shearling jacket. Yet, Vevers’ collection was dedicated to someone much younger: His nine-day-old daughter, Fawn. It seems he had every generation in mind.

Below, take a peek at TZR’s favorite looks from the show.