There are a few guarantees at a Coach fall fashion show: plush shearling jackets, an evening dress or two, leather bags destined for the arms of celebrities and everyday shoppers alike. All of these were present and accounted for in the collection debuting at New York Fashion Week on February 11. But the brand's Fall 2026 look turned up the volume loudest for a favorite reference of Stuart Vevers': the creative director's love of all things counterculture.
In a sea of grunge, Marc Jacobs-esque plaids, frayed Bermuda shorts, and prep school neckties left intentionally off-kilter, Coach welcomed show-goers to its take on My Chemical Romance's Black Parade. The overall vibe was back to school by way of the Warped Tour. Even mini backpacks with a kisslock closure had a bit of an attitude.
In show notes, Vevers called the collection a fusion of 1940s tailoring and '70s sportswear—plus a potpourri of references ranging from Film Noir, varsity uniforms, and the Wizard of Oz. "Youth" and "counterculture" got multiple shout-outs, too. A few runway looks spotlighted satin-y, high-neck dresses set with a celestial brooch or a jacket with silver stars down the side. But the punk influence still came through: Black and gray were the predominant colors, with splashes of bright red in between; the outfit-finishers of choice were high-top skater sneakers and inside-out blazers.
Leather bags—where Coach often flexes its ability to guess what the kids want—also took a trip through the wayback machine. The design team looked back at its 1970s archives for more reinterpretations of Bonnie Cashin's earliest accessory designs for the brand. Oversize leather messengerss and mini East-West bags with coin purse closures had the most potential to resonate with prepsters and minimalists, as well as this runway's punk rockers. But sticking to the theme, the mini bags weren't carried by their strap or hoisted over a shoulder; they had to be scrunched in one hand like a newspaper (or a detention slip).
As always, Coach's front row was populated by young stars, including Elle Fanning, Odessa A'Zion, Emily Bader, Storm Reid, and Mckenna Grace. On Instagram before the show, Vevers dedicated the collection to a name fans might not have known: Fawn, his nine-day-old daughter. Will Generation Beta's revolution come with a vintage Coach dress code by the time she's old enough to wear today's collection? Vevers seemed to hope so. "We embrace the continuous reinvention of what it means to be young and forward-looking, resourceful and creative," he wrote in the show notes.
Coach Fall 2026
