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Fall 2015 marks Coach's third season under creative director Stuart Vevers, who has been working hard to take the company from logo-heavy mall brand to covetable fashion label. A big element of this evolution involves expanding into apparel with seasonal collections for both men and women, on top of the bags and shoes Coach is known for. For a brand that can rightfully declare "heritage" status—they were founded in 1941 as a leather goods company in Manhattan—it's admirable that they let Vevers show a vision for clothing (and shoes and bags) that isn't, well, safe.
Each of the 35 looks shown on this morning's runway offer a lot to unpack visually: duffle coats over biker jackets with leather pants and layers of necklaces, bandanas tied at the neck, heavy-duty moto boots. It's notable that each piece that makes up these busy looks will stand on its own at retail—there are no simple jeans or crewneck sweaters in the merchandising mix, only It items. The outerwear category really blows it out of the water, with a stunning array of leather jackets and plaid wool coats, as well as a thesis on shearling, which worked its way into the bulk of the pieces, most impressively paired with black leather in a number of aviator-influenced styles.
As for those bottom-line-padding accessories, footwear is almost exclusively those aforementioned moto boots (which also come in a shearling-lined version), with the odd kitten heel pump thrown in every few looks. Bags include two silhouettes that ought to do well in stores: a top-handled duffle and a chain-strap crossbody.