On Tuesday, Coach announced the launch of its first collaboration with heritage sportswear brand Champion. While the partnership between the high fashion brand that has a slot on the NYFW calendar and the athletic brand known for its sweats and hoodies may appear unexpected, the Coach x Champion collection feels like it could easily fit under either of the brands. Coach's famed C logo seamlessly appears on Champion’s signature loungewear offerings, while Champion's logo adds a touch of colour to Coach's leather bags and shearling jackets.
Though both brands have long been around — Champion launched in 1919; Coach in 1941 — the campaign shot for the collaboration feels fresh and forward-looking thanks to its stars. The brands tapped Paloma Elsesser — a Vogue cover star, who has walked in runway shows for everyone from Fendi to Eckhaus Latta — as well as TikTok favourites Wisdom Kaye, Jeffrey Tung, and Maha Gondal.
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Shot by photographer Alessandro Simonetti, the campaign shows off the playful nature of the collection, with on-trend pieces like bucket hats, leather joggers, and logo-covered, shearling bombers. Also included in the collection are youthful T-shirts, with slogans like “I’d rather be in Rochester. It’s got it!” — a nod to Champion, which was originally based in Rochester, NY — and everyone’s go-to zip-up hoodies that, at first glance, appear to have Coach C’s on them, but instead, feature Champion’s logos, further proving how organic the partnership is.
To mark the Coach x Champion Athleticwear launch, the brands debuted a TikTok series titled “How to Coach a Champion,” which stars Kaye, who was named the platform’s most fashionable user by Vogue; Gondal, a stylist; and singer-actor Tung. The challenge invites fans of both brands to participate in a handful of games and tests that were inspired by the two brands.
For Millenials and Gen Zers, the Coach x Champion collection is like the grown-up version of the staples they grew up with. And with loungewear continuing to dominate our every sartorial move, there really is no limit to how many Champion-esque hoodies we need — especially when they now feature leather detailing and are covered in logos.
Shop the collection in full now on Coach.com.