Sustainability-Driven Coachtopia Wins Over Gen Z

Made from upcycled, recycled and waste leather (mostly sourced via Coach’s (Re)Loved scheme), the collection of quirky, Y2K-inspired shoulder bags won rave reviews from TikTok users and quickly sold out, prompting an almost immediate restock.

Circularity is at the core of Coachtopia. The bags are made to be remade thanks to features like detachable straps and handles as well as screw-back hardware, meaning that they’re easily disassembled to be recycled again in the future. Customers will be able to trade in their purchases for Coach credit when they are done with them. Leather aside, everything from the thread in the bags’ stitching to the plastic hardware is produced from recycled materials. Genderless apparel, also created using recycled polyester, nylon, cotton and deadstock denim, will follow in future drops.

Visually, the pieces play on popular Gen Z trends, championing a Y2K playfulness and echoing the euphoric feel of similarly youth-driven luxury label offshoots, such as Marc Jacobs’ Heaven. In an innovative move, Coach achieved this by working directly with Gen Z creatives, like New York-based illustrator Sabrina Lau, throughout the design process. It’s a collaborative system that the brand says will continue to inform and inspire future products.

Coachtopia is a masterclass in winning over Gen Z for several reasons. Firstly, the sustainability promises feel sincere and intentional instead of hollow and performative – key for this clued-in cohort. Secondly, from a purely aesthetic perspective, the collection understands what Gen Zers want. Working with members of the target demographic will not only continue to ensure this but build invaluable loyalty between the brand and its customers.