NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Coach announces
the launch of Coach x Michael B.
Jordan, the first-of-its-kind creative collaboration with
actor, producer and first global face of Coach menswear,
Michael B. Jordan. Inspired by his
cultural influences and community, his love of Naruto, and
his passion for bringing unique voices to the forefront, this
unisex ready-to-wear, footwear and bag collection is Jordan's first
foray into fashion design, guided by the expertise of Coach
Creative Director Stuart Vevers.
Created in partnership with VIZ Media, the collection combines
Coach craftsmanship with Jordan's affinity for functional fashion
and graphic codes from the world of Naruto, a popular
Japanese anime and manga. Product ranges from parkas, jean jackets
and pullovers to backpacks, utility packs and hybrid sneaker boots.
Infused with technical details like removable sleeves, tactical
straps and elastic closures, it also features imagery of characters
from Naruto, as well as the series' trademark "eye" motifs
reimagined with Coach's Retro C graphic. These references tie back
to the story of Naruto Uzumaki himself, a young ninja who begins
his journey as an outsider and earns the respect of his community
as he works with his friends to protect it. The Naruto
backstory speaks closely to Jordan's own narrative as an outlier
building bridges inside and outside of the Hollywood establishment, and echoes Coach's
commitment to community and courage.
To launch the collection, Coach releases a campaign that fuses
its values and craftsmanship with Jordan's cinematic skill and
Naruto's mystic iconography. The hero film, conceived by
Jordan and directed by Rachel
Morrison, who collaborated with Jordan previously as the
director of photography on Black Panther, takes place in a
neon-drenched Tokyo street, and
moves between moments of modern-day grit and magical realism,
placing an emphasis on the power of connection.
"Working with Mike is always a great experience," said Vevers.
"He's a great collaborator because he always puts his heart and
soul into everything he does, and because he brought something
authentic and personal to the collection."
"With my name on this collection, it was important to design
pieces that represent my cultural influences and my community;
pieces that I could see my friends, family and fans wearing with
pride," said Jordan. "As with all aspects of my work, this
collection is about bringing fresh perspectives and unique voices
to the forefront. Expanding into the fashion design space was
rewarding beyond my expectations. I'm grateful to Stuart and Coach
for providing me with the opportunity and expertise to execute a
collection I'm extremely proud of."
Coach will also celebrate the collection with global pop-ups in
Japan, Malaysia and the
United States, a dedicated Coach experience in the VIZ Media
booth at New York Comic Con on October
3-6, and a range of limited-edition T-shirts.
The Coach x Michael B. Jordan
collection is now available online at Coach.com and in stores.
ABOUT COACH
Coach is a global design house of modern
luxury leather goods, apparel, footwear, fragrance, eyewear and a
full range of lifestyle accessories. Founded in 1941, Coach
has a longstanding reputation built on quality craftsmanship and is
defined by its confident New York
style. The brand approaches design with a modern vision,
reimagining luxury for today with an authenticity and innovation
that is uniquely Coach. Coach products are available in
approximately 55 countries through its network of directly operated
stores, travel retail shops and sales to wholesale customers and
independent third-party distributors, as well as through
coach.com.
Coach is a Tapestry, Inc. brand. Tapestry is publicly
listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TPR.
ABOUT NARUTO
The beloved ninja action franchise made
its debut in 1999 in a manga created by Masashi Kishimoto, revolutionized manga and
anime, and continues to captivate millions of fans internationally.
The Coach x Michael B. Jordan
collection is an integral part of the year-long NARUTO 20th
Anniversary celebration. The NARUTO brand family includes the
original manga series (published by VIZ Media in English), together
with the NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and feature
films, as well as the latest manga & anime sequel, BORUTO:
NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS. In the NARUTO manga and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the
land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder
than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will
push him to his limits.
Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN in
North America is available at
viz.com/naruto.
ABOUT VIZ MEDIA, LLC
Established in 1986, VIZ Media is
the premier company in the fields of publishing, animation
distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its
popular SHONEN JUMP brand and blockbuster properties like NARUTO,
DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an
extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety
of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed
merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment
companies, Shogakukan Inc., Shueisha Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha
Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best
titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide.
Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at viz.com.
EDITORIAL CREDIT: Coach x MBJ
IMAGE CREDIT: © 2019 Leo Volcy
SOCIAL MEDIA: @Coach; #CoachNY #CoachxMBJ
CONTACT:
Amanda Peña, Director, Global Brand
Communications
212 946 3854 / apena@coach.com
Kate Mack, Director, Global
Celebrity and Influencer Relations
212 946 7803 / kmack@coach.com
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SOURCE Coach, Inc.