Stuart Vevers Flirts With a Dark Romance for Coach's Fall 2019 Collection

He's one of the rare designers who delivers pretty much the same thing season after season without ever seeming stale.

Since Stuart Vevers took the creative lead at Coach back in 2013, he's made Americana prairie florals a key aesthetic for the brand. Regardless of whether he was inspired by "Stranger Things" or sending models kicking down a glittery city street, that look has remained his North Star.

For Fall 2019, Vevers didn't ditch his signature style, but he did dial it down quite a bit — as he did with the set design, an unusually sparse wooden room set up at the American Stock Exchange, with a few metallic sculptures set amongst the benches. Instead, as with the set, the focus was on shapes: Oversize, fuzzy faux-fur vests emblazoned with the Coach logo, black leather bomber jackets with the fabric cut out to reveal the structure of the seams and the fringe, sharply-cut blazers over top-stitched jeans. The bags, too, are becoming more structured, with top-handled styles dominating the selection.

The prairie is still in there, of course, most obviously in the pointed-toe boots and bolero-tie details on button-up dresses, but also in the patchwork quilt prints inspired by artist Kaffe Fassett and deep-hued florals. It's a darker kind of romance that Vevers flirts with here, pairing jewel-toned brocades and dark navy plaids with black lace and burgundy long-line cardigans.

This being fall, the outerwear is outstanding, especially for the men in shearling-lined buffalo plaids and quilted leathers, as well as color-blocked fleeces with bright orange pulls. The sweaters, too, seem perfectly cozy and slightly punk in oversized fits and tiger-striped prints. There was an aura of unisex style around the whole proceedings — models all wore wallet chains, hoop earrings and creepers regardless of gender — and it isn't difficult to imagine a couple swapping each other an emerald green floral army jacket for a cozy teal fleece.

Vevers is the rare designer who pretty much delivers the same thing season after season without ever seeming stale. He's a welcome talent on the New York scene.

See the complete Coach 1941 collection in the gallery below.

View the 62 images of this gallery on the original article

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