How Coach’s Stuart Vevers “Stopped Being Fearful About Sustainability and Started to Take Action”

0:05This is The Run Through. I'm Nicole Phelps, and today I'm lucky to be joined in the studio with Coach's creative director Stuart Vever. In honor of Earth Day, we spent most of our conversation talking about Coach Topia and his approach to sustainability. At a time when a lot of the industry seems to be shying away from sustainability practices, Coach has committed to being net zero by 2050. It's a goal that he said will not be easy to make without significant change. We talked about just how Coach plans to do that, whether or not customers actually care about sustainability, and how all of this shows up on the runway.

0:43Okay, enough preamble. Here is my conversation with Stuart.

0:50Welcome, Stuart Beavers, to Vogue's Run-Through Podcast. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for having me. It is April and April is Earth Month. And this is a year in which we really need to be talking about Earth Month. I saw a headline last week that the 10 warmest years on record are the past 10 years from 2014 to 2023, with 2024 being the warmest globally. So let's talk about it. I want to talk about sustainability. And when I think about you and Coach and sustainability, I think about Coachtopia, which is a project that's been going for a couple of years now, right? And it's become a real like viral sensation.

1:33Yeah, we started Coachtopia. I mean, the biggest reason was to really push ourselves forward in sustainability. And I'd been doing quite a lot of work around sustainability, and it was a conversation between myself and the CEO. And the reason we started Coachtopia was to really create a space where we could do things very differently. because I often found at Coach, we would hit some real challenges because we had existing processes. And with Coachtopia, the idea was when you start something from scratch, you can invent whatever you want. And that was really what made Coachtopia different. Can you talk about what Coachtopia is for those who don't know?

2:24You're basically making a bag from waste parts, right? Yeah, there's a lot of different things that we explore. But one of the areas we've explored is using the waste from Coach to see if we could create pieces that worked, that the client liked. And that's been wild, actually, discovering what we were throwing away and what we could create from those things we were essentially throwing away. But I would say it's only one of several different explores because in a lot of the sustainability work that I do, but particularly in Coachtopia, it's really about experimenting and using, from my perspective, it's using the power of design and creativity to do things differently.

3:15Do you want to talk about some of the other explorations? Yeah, we have a collection we call Loop, and that's bags and also ready-to-wear, where we've created it so it's a single material. And the theory is that that will make it much more possibilities in terms of recycling. We'll be able to recycle the whole product at end of life, which is something, again, a really interesting explore, a big challenge to try and create something from a single material. I mean, I do know a lot about Coachtopia. I toured the launch collection with you. I remember it well, but I don't know about Loop. I don't think I've ever heard of it.

4:00Tell me more about it. So it's a lightweight fabric collection, and it's made from recycled materials, But the goal of it is it's going to be easier to recycle when it comes to the end of its life. So it's like lightweight fabric bags, but also clothing. So lightweight, is that another way to sort of attract a different kind of consumer? Like it's an easier on the wallet kind of product? Yeah, I mean, it's so I would say Coach is mostly known for leather. loop is an interesting example and it could in a way show you how our sustainable initiatives do connect with a client because we've we've generally not had a lot of success with with fabric but loop has been really well received and i think it's because of the the approach because it's it's trying something different it's it's trying something new it really has a point of view aesthetically, yes, it fits in with the kind of upbeat spirit of Coachtopia.

5:11But I actually think the way it's made and the potential it shows for circular product, I think is a big part of what makes it work. Can we get into the nitty gritty of that? Because I think a lot of people, you know, we hear a lot about recycling, you know, when it comes to our plastic and our cardboard, And that's a complicated issue. But when you're talking about a bag, there are many different parts and each part needs to be recycled in a different way, right? So it's a really elaborate, complicated system. I mean, we have a program at Coach called Reloved, which is where a client can bring a bag back to the brand.

5:52And we re-love the bag. So sometimes that's restoring it. Sometimes it's taking it apart for its elements and using them. And so, Loop in Coachtopia is the idea of designing something that's been planned to be recycled. And being a single material, you know, the theory is that that will be much easier to recycle. As with a lot of exploration around sustainability, those bags have just started their life, so they'll come back to us at a future date, and hopefully they will be in use for some time. But the theory is that by making it easier to recycle later, it'll be better for the environment. Have you gotten any Coachtopia bags via the Reloved program?

6:42I'm sure we must have had some, but it's still fairly young, so we don't see so many. Right, right. The girls are still and guys are still carrying them around. And the first thing we try and do is put the bags back into use. You know, the first thing we do is, you know, if we can just lightly restore something and find a new home for it, that's the first thing we do. And I use the word girls and guys purposely because Coachtopia does have a very youthful sensibility. Does Loop as well? Yes, yeah. Everything in Coach 2, the two filters were really sustainability and the next generation, Gen Z, was really the, a lot of the feedback I was getting was from the new generation or the current generation in regards to sustainability.

7:31So then I kind of thought, well, it also makes sense to create it with them in mind, you know, because in a way the initiative was about creating a world that's fit for the next generation. So also designing it with their sensibility made sense, too. But we are in the midst of an economic crisis and fashion is really in the thick of it. And I mean, I've definitely heard anecdotally from some designers who work with sustainable or responsibly made materials that the mills themselves are they're not even offering these kinds of materials anymore because there's not enough demand. Do you find at the moment is our sustainability efforts harder than ever?

8:15Or do you think the like the world around you and the industry around you is sort of making things easier? I don't know whether it's making it easier, but it's hard to know for sure, isn't it? But I just have to approach it from a personal perspective. It feels really important to me. I've talked a lot about it within the company I work for. and we've created really tangible science-based targets. So I know that as a group, this is important to us. I know as a person, it's something I'm really passionate about and I want to do more. And I hear a lot from our client that this is really important to them.

8:57So yes, there are challenges and some things work and some things don't, but what I found is this is about doing. And I, honestly, I came from a place where I was very nervous around sustainability. I was researching it. I was interested. I always felt like it might be someone else's responsibility. You know, production, supply chain, whatever it is. It wasn't really until I was like, it's my responsibility. I have to do something about this. And everything starts with design. So isn't that the right place to start anyway? And then additionally, it was when I started to just talk about it and acknowledge that this can be difficult sometimes and that I won't always get it right.

9:48But I'm trying and I'm pushing this forward. And that's when I stopped being fearful about sustainability and I just started to take action. And I found that then I started to attract black-minded people. Suppliers would come to me with ideas. And, you know, even just within my own team, people started to put their hands up and say, oh, I'm interested in this too, and I have an idea I'd like to share. And that, for me, was really powerful. Have you been able to take anything, any of the learnings from Coachtopia or Loop, and apply them to the greater, the bigger coach world? Can you talk about that?

10:27We kind of have a flexible rule that if we start something in Coachtopia, we give it some time there to learn from it and to make sure that Coachtopia is compelling. But our rule is that after about a year, we can take those learnings and bring them to coach. And by creating Coachtopia, it was never meant to be that we didn't push things forward in coach in terms of sustainability. So we're often sharing ideas and we're also working in things in parallel. So even runway I use as a laboratory for new ideas around sustainability.

11:10We will be right back with Stuart Beavers after this break. Thank you.

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12:04We really love the fall show here at Vogue. Thank you. So I'm curious if there's anything that you could point to in that fall show that is an example of that. We start right at the beginning. And we get together as a team and we throw ideas around every season on runway. And we use it as a place to experiment. And the difference with Coachtopia and with Coach, actually the goal is scale. I want to make meaningful impact. And Coach has the power to be able to do that. With runway, it's not necessarily about that. It's actually about trying new things, experimenting. And quite often, four out of five things, they won't go anywhere.

12:50They're not scalable. But it's that one idea that does break through and does mean that we can create something at scale that I'm looking for. And using runway and creativity to try new things, for me, it becomes very exciting because you're being a pioneer. You're trying new things. And I think if something doesn't go anywhere, it's okay. Yeah. So what is it on the fall runway that is more sustainably oriented? I think probably the biggest example would be our recycling post-consumer garments. So that's, for example, all the denim in the fall show was made from post-consumer denim. And as you can imagine, there's a lot of denim in the world.

13:40Like, we've made a lot of denim. And with Runway, it's about looking at ways we can create something new with that, like a new silhouette, new techniques. But all the denim in the show was post-consumer. And a lot of the leather, we also were upcycling leather. into new garments. So that's a big area that we explore as runway. But I would say in a single show, there can be 30, 40, 50 single ideas that we're exploring. And every team is tasked with trying to find new things. And it becomes like a healthy competition of like, you know, who can find what and what new ideas. And then we start sharing them and talking about them.

14:27And it's become a real focus of sustainability, the show. Well, let's talk about the industry, the fashion industry, bigger picture. Do you think you have worthy competition? Are there other people who you admire who are making strides? Or are you sort of worried that there's, you know, like a lot of greenwashing going on? I wish there was more that was happening. In terms of greenwashing, it's a very complex... I mean, it's not complex, because if it's not doing good for the planet, if it's not doing better for the planet, then yes, of course it is greenwashing. But I also want to be careful of, I want to make sure that we approach this without fear and anxiety.

15:14And I think if, you know, yes, things should be questioned and investigated and, you know, but I also want to make sure that it's a spirit of looking forward, being positive, doing things. And like I said, I definitely came from a place of fear of like, what if I don't get it perfect? What if I do something and I get criticized for it? Ultimately, I decided I'm going to put myself out there and try these things. And I'm going to also be open about the fact that I don't know everything and I might get some things wrong. But the most important thing for me is to take action and to do things. Do I wish I was doing more?

15:54Yes, sometimes I wish I was doing more. And do I wish our industry was doing more? Yes. But, you know, I see it as my responsibility to push myself. And, you know, so some of those concerns are what pushes me forward. I imagine that this kind of honesty, which it feels very rare, I have to say. So congratulations to you for being so honest, really appeals to the coach customer. You know, this candidness. And I wanted you to talk a little bit more about the customer. Do you think they really care about sustainability? And if you do think that, how do you know? How are they telling you? I read things.

16:36I mean, I think ultimately it's about listening. I get direct feedback that people, they tell me that this also even made them more interested in understanding more about the coach brand, you know. And so I think that suggests to me that there's interest. I find it hard to believe that it's not important to most people. Like, I just, I can't, maybe I'm naive, maybe I'm being naive, but I just, this is our planet we're talking about. Like, I just don't see it as an option not to do better. And for me, doing better will ultimately mean being truly sustainable, being circular, you know, all that.

17:24That's my goal. So Coach is committed to carbon net zero by 2050. That's an ambitious target, right? Yeah, yeah. And a lot of the goals we've set, we've actually achieved them ahead of time. And that would certainly be my ambition in this is to get there ahead of time. And so that is not going to be easy. We're going to have to work hard to do that. So we're not waiting till 2030 or 2040 to start. We're starting now.

17:56We're going to take another break back with Stuart Beavers in a moment.

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18:41Does part of your passion about sustainability and sort of making sure the Earth makes it come from having two little kids? Because I know it affects me having a kid and worrying about the world. Definitely. Yeah, it definitely had a big impact. And my kids were born in 2020, so it was also like a time of a lot of reflection and a lot of questioning of why I do what I do. Like that thinking and questioning plus thinking about my kids' future definitely pushed me forward. Yeah. Are there any ways that you as a family try to be more responsible in your everyday life? Yeah, yeah. I think all the little things that I think we all do, whether it's recycling at home, but like renovation projects, like at home, I always start with if there's something that exists in the world already, start there.

19:41You know, so I love old things as well. So when I'm doing a renovation project, I look at what I can restore or reclaim. And, you know, whether it's wood for a floor or a staircase, as I recently did, I just think, why not start with things that already exist? Well, I'm glad you brought that up. Vogue just had a vintage sale and made a lot of money for the victims of the Los Angeles fires. Coach bags are a real phenomenon in the vintage resale scene. We have this stat that someone on Reddit created a spreadsheet documenting 650 vintage coach style numbers and their corresponding style names, which is very impressive.

20:27You need to get that person interning for a coach. So what do you think makes people so drawn to these older pieces? It's really interesting, actually, because I think if you look at Coach's history, like, it's when I go to, or if I'm in New York or in Tokyo or London, I'll often see a young person walking down the street and they're wearing a Coach bag that just happens to be 40 or 50 years old. And I think it's really part of Coach's story is that that quality, that means that things are crafted to last. I think that always meant in previously that was often the bags from the 60s or 70s or 80s.

21:12And I think more recently, there's a real phenomenon about the bags from the later eras of Coach, which when I was first started to see that, it was quite disconcerting. Are you talking about pre-U, like the 2000s before you? Yeah, like, I guess 90s and early 2000s has been become a real, I mean, I live around the corner from a flea market. And I was just there yesterday, actually. And there was a cool young woman who was just she was carrying a new coach bag and she was buying a vintage coach bag. And I think it was like a 2000 mid 2000s. to me that's really exciting because i think the best way to be sustainable is to keep things in use like the fact that there's desirability around those vintage coach pieces i think it's it's good does it inform your design process sometimes yeah sometimes because we'll sometimes hear of like really rare like vintage finds that people are particularly excited about and then that can sometimes become a starting point for something new.

22:26I've told you this before, but my first designer bag was a coach bag. Yes. And gosh, I wish I still had it. But I quite often hear that from people. And I think it's coach holds a special place in a lot of people's hearts because of that reason. I think one of the first times you see those cyclical trends come through is kids raiding their parents' closet. You know, I remember when I first started to see those, the logo bags from the early 2000s. And I was fascinated about where this had come from and where it started. And I think it's that, it comes down to that thing of a new generation discovering something.

23:11Yes, you and I have been in the business long enough to see things that we remember very well firsthand, like coming back as quote unquote vintage. At first it was terrifying and now I kind of like it. It's like, well, actually I have a lot of info on that I can share and like, you know, I can dig into my own personal experiences from that time. So it's kind of fun. We have people at Vogue who have been applying to kindergarten schools and we understand that you have been too. And how's the process going? I think everyone who's gone through this experience knows it can be quite stressful. I will openly acknowledge that my husband did most of the work and we had a lot of heated discussions.

24:00But in the end, our, because we have twins, River and Vivian, and so it was double the amount of work. We made the decision, which I would recommend. It worked for us anyway. we were very selective. We just chose two schools each to apply for, and it just gave it a lot more focus. And I guess it just showed that we actually really cared about these schools and we felt they were right for them. Do the schools know that you only applied to one other school? I think we told them, yeah. Because we saw it as like a... And so that would be your tip for our colleagues here at Vogue. Anything else that you can suggest?

24:42I mean, it's a risky tip. Like how did you and your husband not just fight all the time about it? We did. We did. We thought about it. Or we had heated discussions. It's when I got a really good argument. Like when Ben had a really good argument, I just was like, okay, that's a good argument. Like let's, we've made the decision. We'll move on. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I am soon to be applying to college with my son, and I am not going to apply to just two schools. I know. It's probably the worst advice possible. But, you know, I guess I'm just saying it worked for us because, yeah, it could have been overwhelming.

25:24You know, people applied to like seven, eight, nine schools. That's probably not even as many as I will be applying to for college. But as you said at the beginning, you have been at Coach now for going on 12 years. So I want you to talk a little bit about what is next for you at Coach. The eternal question, I guess. The thing I would say is I don't think that far ahead. I think at its best, fashion reflects the times we're in. And I always think the runway is where I pour most of my emotions and love and passions. That collection is just where me and the team spend a lot of time really thinking about what statements we want to make about the future.

26:19and it changes literally. I mean, we will make decisions up till 60 seconds before the show. And I think that's one of the things I love most about fashion is it's always changing. It's never the same. And at its best, it reflects the times we live in. And we live in very complex times. So I love the fact that I have no idea what I'm going to present in September. We're in April. And to me, that's really exciting. So like the honest answer is, I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do next at coach. And that's kind of, that's something that I love. That is a very positive thing to leave with.

27:04Thank you. Thank you. That's it for today's episode. The run through will be back on Thursday. Goodbye.

27:21The Run-Through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma, and Joanna Solitaroff. It's engineered by Jake Loomis and James Yost. It is mixed by Mike Kutchman. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of Global Audio.

27:47From PRX.