Following the launch of its new house on New York’s Fifth Avenue last week, Coach let the good times roll with a party to mark the opening of a Regent Street flagship in London on Thursday night.
Located on 206 Regent St., next door to Stuart Weitzman (which is owned by Coach) the new 27,500-sq.-ft. space showcases the brand’s new retail concept.
Designed by creative director Stuart Vevers in collaboration with William Sofield, the shop aims to embody the concept of modern luxury and focuses on customization, with stations offering monogramming and made-to-order services.
It also highlights the brand’s playful spirit, with a metallic sculpture of Rexy the dinosaur, who stomps his way across the brand’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections, at the entrance of the store. Rexy also appears in street-facing windows, in the form of a neon pink light installation.
Dancers dressed in dinosaur costumes were the main attraction for party guests, which included Kate Moss, Henry Holland, Poppy Delevingne, Erin O’ Connor and Daisy Lowe.
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“It feels like a home away from home because my house is filled with dinosaurs. I had a sweet chat with Stuart about it, and he said that the message is embracing the child within, which is great. He is giving a sense of fun and clothes that young people want to wear,” said O’Connor.
“What I like most about the store is Rexy. She’s completely random. What appealed to me is that she had no connection to the history of Coach,” said Vevers.
Alongisde Rexy, a series of mannequins features the brand’s playful patch-embellished varsity jackets with Vevers’ latest footwear designs for the label, which include bold studded loafers in a series of metallic shades.
The footwear collection also takes center stage on the store’s lower ground floor, which stocks more classic styles such as leather sneakers and various boots, including plain flat leather ankle styles and embellished silver ones, representative of Vevers’ commitment to blending heritage with his modernist vision.
Taking a cue from its Fifth Avenue counterpart, the Regent Street store also features a mechanized conveyor belt with rotating products such as handbags and jackets. Vevers said it’s a symbol of the brand’s evolving nature.
Coach was originally located at the lower end of the street, but wanted to relocate as part of its efforts to refine the brand image under Vevers. It is the latest big American brand to open a flagship on the street, joining Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade New York and, most recently, Stuart Weitzman.
“This is a pivotal move for us,” said Nigel Darwin, Coach Europe’s president. “Following our recently opened Paris flagship on rue Saint-Honoré, this move demonstrates our commitment to brand transformation and development within Europe.”
