Stuart Vevers Talks China Embracing Americana

Coach lit up Shanghai with its Pre-fall 2019 show. Creative director Stuart Vevers talks China embracing Americana, opening the show unexpectedly with a man, and leaving his beloved Rexy in the good hands of four contemporary Chinese creatives

- Ian Lee

There was no sight of dragons or embroidery in the traditional sense. Instead, whether it was in the cast, set or design elements, Coach brought a little bit New York to Shanghai, for its Pre-fall 2019 show. True to the house’s collaborative nature, four creatives were invited by Coach creative director Stuart Vevers to reimagine the brand’s well-loved mascot, Rexy, in completely different ways. Sculptor, Sui Jianguo’s 3-D take involved a distorted photo print. Graphic artist, Guang Yu, on the other hand, gave the dinosaur a graffiti twist. Ink painter, Zhu Jingyi rendered an arty Rexy with brush strokes, while music duo YETI OUT incorporated the mascot into a round face graphic. The version 2.0 Rexy motifs are found on Coach’s Pre-fall 2019 garments and accessories, which are available in stores this month.

Just a day after the visual extravaganza that was Coach’s Pre-fall 2019 show (that was attended by K-pop phenom Blackpink’s Rose and Jisoo), Vevers sat down with L’Officiel Singapore and fielded some tough questions…

Why the decision to celebrate Coach’s 15th anniversary in China with a show in Shanghai?

Vevers: I think that of all the things that have driven the more casual style in fashion now, one of the most important things has been China. It’s the fact that the newer generation that were introduced to luxury fashion have really broken down what luxury can be – a T-shirt and backpack can be considered luxury. What used to be formal and “investment” have gone to the streets.

How did you come to the decision of working with local contemporary artists on reinterpreting Rexy?