Elle Fanning, Stuart VeversBen Rosser/BFA.com
Eighty-five is a milestone, even by fashion standards. Following Coach’s Spring 2027 show at Pier 36, the waterfront venue transformed into a birthday bash fueled by Tanqueray martinis and signature Coach 85 cocktails. The New York-based house channeled Studio 54 for one night only, with global brand ambassadors Elle Fanning and Storm Reid among those ready to celebrate.
“There’s nothing quite like the energy of New York during Fashion Week. I love seeing everyone come together,” Fanning told Vogue. “I’ve always loved how Coach celebrates individuality and self-expression. There’s such a sense of joy and personality in [creative director] Stuart Vevers’s world, and it’s been really special to be part of that over the years,” she added.
The actress, who has been a face of Coach since 2024, sported a cherry-red leather skirt and lace top with a black beret and leopard-print coat, finishing her look with a Coach Tabby bag, which she noted “feels perfect for a night out in New York.”
Bridge kicked off the energetic night with a hip-hop and ’80s-infused DJ set in the Coach x Spotify Booth, as guests including Soyeon, Pat McGrath, Troye Sivan, and the cast of Netflix’s A Different World mingled around the room and hit the electric dance floor.
This was, decidedly, a dance party – albeit one with the sophistication of a cocktail hour. Zack Fox and SG Lewis kept the crowd moving later in the evening, as attendees snacked on shrimp, chips and dip, olives, and passed mini cupcakes. Once 11 p.m. rolled around, plates of parmesan-topped risotto gave partygoers a second wind.
The rose-hued celebration leaned into full birthday nostalgia with party hats, tinsel-covered horns, and an epic oversized cake designed by Lauren Schofield. Then, with support from UpBeat NYC’s voguing dancers, directed by Arturo Lyons, Violet Chachki popped out of the cake to serenade the crowd with a sultry rendition of Happy Birthday. Around the room, people snapped photos in a vintage-inspired photo booth and lined up for hot-stamped leather bag tags in an array of pastel shades, some attaching them to their outfits without a moment’s delay.
“I’m excited to celebrate 85 years of incredible craftsmanship, but also all of the nostalgia that comes with Coach,” Reid, clad in a spring-forward blue plaid outfit, told Vogue. “So many of us have memories of Coach pieces being in our lives and in our closets—whether it was something you owned, something your mom or sister had, or a bag you always wanted growing up. It’s really special to celebrate a brand that has that kind of history while still feeling so current.”
Reid’s go-to party accessory? “A good handbag. Always. I feel like you can have on the simplest outfit, but the right bag can completely change the energy and make the whole look feel intentional. Especially during Fashion Week, when you’re running around all day and then you end up at a party that night. Your bag has to keep up!”
In true birthday party fashion, a Coach-themed newsstand ensured everyone went home with adult-sized goodie bags filled with Coach 85 t-shirts, bespoke vanilla cake mixes and candles, and custom Swedish candy boxes from BonBon.
Bonne fete, Coach.
