Fashion

Revamping of Coach brings a fresh appeal to the dowdy bag brand

Stylefile: Plus, stay cosy in cashmere and add some relaxed Italian looks to your wardrobe

Coach: The Drew satchel in Stuart Vevers’s new ad campaign for the New York bagmakers

Deirdre McQuillan's face
Deirdre McQuillan
Tue Jan 22 2019 - 06:00

The man responsible for revamping Coach, award-winning British designer Stuart Vevers, made his mark on luxury-goods houses Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Loewe before moving to the US bag brand. No surprise that with such a background, he has brought a freshness and new appeal to the rather dowdy image of the New York bagmakers, while maintaining its aim for affordable luxury.

The Parker Top Handle and the Signature Patchwork dreamer bags from Coach's new spring summer collection

His latest advertising campaign features an all-female road-trip gang in flowery dresses inspired by the American West and highlights new bags the Parker Top Handle and the Patchwork Dreamer. In Dublin, Brown Thomas and Arnotts carry the collection, which ranges from small clutches to large carryalls. There is also an outlet branch at Kildare Village. coach.com

The Parker top handle bag from Coach's new spring summer collection

Feeling blue?

If you're feeling the cold this January, cashmere is your friend and this light blue crew (€225) from Lucy Nagle not only reflects the mood of the season, but is also the colour of spring and summer. The new collection features pieces with her signature stars, including Orange Superstar, a bright orange sweater with black stars. It also features pieces in all sorts of stripes, wide and narrow, in bright, sunny colours of pink, blue, orange and yellow in both light and chunky cashmere. Some have little pleat details at the back or sleeve ruffles and there's a black and white leopard print in the mix as well (€285). Available from lucynagle.com, BT2 and Brown Thomas.

Pale blue cashmere crew by Lucy Nagle €225

Eclectic Electra

When Sadhbh Fahy, an Irish event manager in Paris quit her job, moved back home en famille after 15 years and opened Electra boutique in Donnybrook two years ago, she brought a certain understanding of French style to Dublin. Some of the brands she introduced were very familiar in France but not here, such as Vanessa Bruno, Barbara Bui and APC.

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She has now searched further afield for clothes with that same relaxed, unpretentious look and introduced two this season: Forte Forte from Italy and Bassike from Australia. Forte Forte, founded by a brother and sister from a knitwear family in the Veneto, focus on easygoing styles in linen, silk and organza in bright hues. Other newcomer, Bassike, has established a worldwide reputation for its organic cotton jerseys and denim for both men and women. Think inexpensive pull-on cotton pants, sweatshirts, striped granddad shirts in khaki and white, long khaki dresses and all sorts of denim jeans for women. Both brands are now in stock at Electra, 12 Donnybrook Road, Dublin 4.

A taste of the summer collection from Forte Forte, the new Italian brand at Electra