You’re invited to join the passionate and creative family of Coachtopia–the new sub-brand of Coach, which focuses on circular craft to bring the brand towards a fully circular business model. Created for and with a new generation of consumers who are active advocates for sustainability, Coachtopia takes their mission to heart, reimagining the lifecycle of fashion products. “Circularity is about reimagining not just the product lifecycle, but the relationship between brand, planet and consumer,” Joon Silverstein, SVP, Global Marketing, Creative and Sustainability at Coach and Head of Coachtopia explained.

The sub-brand laid its foundation on its Made Circular™ design philosophy, which sees three main principles intertwined in the product design, craft, and recycling processes. To reduce its carbon footprint and avoid contributing to the linear fashion system (in which over 85% of materials produced end up incinerated or as waste), Coachtopia uses either Coach production waste or materials made with at least 50% recycled scraps for all its products. Moreover, each item is designed to easily transition into a second and even third life (and purpose). This means that products are simple to disassemble or repair. New features, such as removable screwback hardware or detachable handles and straps, ensure that original materials are preserved to their highest values. Finally, you will always be able to trade in your Coachtopia piece for credit and to follow its next journey thanks to a unique digital passport. 

With Coachtopia, the brand is not only reexamining the impact fashion has on the environment but also the concept and standards of beauty. “We know that to transform our impacts, we need to fundamentally shift mindsets—from seeing opportunity in waste to designing backwards to taking a more open-source approach to creativity,” Silverstein said. This is an invitation to seek beauty beyond a product’s aesthetic and to find it in the history that has led it to you and in its future chapters. 

To be able to build a better future for our planet, one that is less harmful to the environment and more respectful of its legacy, we must rely on the support of the community. Coachtopia is the result of the brand collaboration with the Coachtopia Beta Community, a growing network of hundreds of Gen Z individuals–from climate activists and designers to journalists and filmmakers, and more–who are determined to make a difference. “We were inspired by our shared desire to do better for the planet by inventing new circular ways of dreaming, designing and creating,” said Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers. 

Emerging talents are invited to showcase their vision and creativity in limited-edition product collaborations, such as that with graphic designer and illustrator Sabrina Lau. “Honestly, it was like a fever dream. It really did feel like a true collaboration—it was very open. And to be the first one to kick it off is truly an honor,” Lau said. Her launch drop is inspired by her love of texture and surreal juxtaposition, as well as her encounters with nature in New York. Moreover, Coachtopia also supports and guides tomorrow’s design talents with its CFDA x Coach Dream It Real Circular Design Scholarship. 15 students have been awarded with it and invited to participate in a “Coachtopia Waste Contest:” mentored by the Coachtopia team, they develop fresh uses for Coach leather scraps, some of which will be available as limited-edition drops. 

The collection has just launched in the United States, Canada, and the UK, and will expand to Asia later this year.