European designers have their maisons, Cartier has its mansion, Polo has its bar and now Coach has...a house. The name Coach House, which is what Coach has chosen to call its three-level Fifth Avenue flagship is decidedly in opposition to the exclusive air projected by its luxury neighbors, from Cartier to Valentino to, unfortunately, Trump Tower.
"I think Coach should have a different approach to luxury," explained CEO Victor Luis during a press preview for the store on Thursday. "We're on Fifth Avenue, which is the luxury shopping destination of New York, maybe even of America, and I want us to have a distinct point of view; I want us to be warm; I want us to be inviting; I want us to be personal."
That said, Coach House isn't exactly a mom-and-pop shop, though Luis joked about putting a bell on the front door that dings as people walk in. At 20,000 square feet, it's the brand's biggest store in the world. Impressive elements include a wide blackened steel and concrete staircase, a glass-enclosed elevator, and other high-end, yet classic architectural and design details. On the more whimsical front, upon entering, guests are confronted by a striking 12-foot dinosaur sculpture made out of Coach handbags and a mechanized conveyor belt installed with Coach products on the ceiling. On the second floor, a large, wooden contemporary sculpture — traced from an iconic rock in Central Park — accents the menswear section.
5th Avenue
525 W 30th St, New York, NY 10001, USA
20 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001
120.5 Wooster St, New York, NY 10012, USA
59th Street
125 Prince St, New York, NY 10012, USA
44 Union Square, New York
881 Broadway, New York
530 5th Ave, New York, NY 10036, USA