Coach teams up with Brain Dead for new collaboration

Coach on Monday unveiled its newest collaboration with Los Angeles streetwear brand Brain Dead, marking the occasion with a launch party in New York City that resulted in a surprise mini runway show at the event.

The new Coach x Brain Dead collaboration blends Coach’s Americana heritage with Brain Dead’s art-school, punk aesthetic, resulting in an array of mascots, patches, faux souvenirs, fuzzy textures, and sticker graphics plastered over the New York City brand’s mainstay bags such as the Tabby, Waverly and Empire bags.

In addition to the handbags, the line also offers fashion, footwear and bag charms.

“What I love about this collection is that it celebrates individuality—the way people personalize things, collect things, and become emotionally attached to them over time,” said Coach creative director Stuart Vevers. 

“That spirit of optimism and self-expression runs through the entire collection.”

Brain Dead founder Kyle Ng emphasized the collab’s self-expression and cultural crossover. 

“The customization that they’ve allowed us to collaborate on really speaks to the nature of our brand as well as Coach,” said Ng, who founded the brand with Ed Davis in 2014.

“Brain Dead has always been a brand about self-expression -culturally as well as style – with the culture side being first, ahead of fashion.”

The collab’ was christened by a theme park-esque launch party held in New York City’s Meatpacking District. During the event, a flashmob-style runway show also took place, with models displaying the collaboration to a crowd that included Troye Sivan and Lourdes Leon.

The Coach X Brain Dead collection officially launches May 29.