The fashion industry tends to be a somewhat one-sided world to take part in, no matter what your involvement is. For consumers the selection of apparel available is almost exclusively for women. And in terms of employees of the industry, you guessed it, mostly women. It’s a common stereotype to think that only women work in fashion. But why is it that women are the focus? So, in typical AMP3 fashion, we began an internal discussion. Maybe it’s because men tend to have higher quality clothing options, which means they don’t have to buy as often. Whereas women wouldn’t dare repeat an outfit, there’s an (unrealistic dare we say) need to have as many pieces as possible; fueling the need for fast fashion. Makes sense, right? We thought so.
But, just as we are coming to this conclusion, it appears the tides may finally be turning. Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther heart throb) has been announced as the global face of Coach’s menswear. This is iconic for a few reasons; mainly because this role has never been filled before. This news should come as no shock considering Coach just partnered with Selena Gomez ton an ambassador campaign including philanthropic work, a capsule collection, and ad campaigns.
Jordan has been gaining traction for some time now Beginning with his role in Creed, and more recently his role in Black Panther, which has catapulted him into the spotlight and made him a pop culture phenomenon. In a statement released by Coach’s Creative Director Stuart Vevers, he said, “Michael is cool and authentic, and he really embodies the Coach guy. I’ve had the chance to get to know Michael over the last couple of years; he always looks great in Coach, so it felt really natural to build our relationship.” The classic brand is once again returning to the spotlight; not only by gaining notoriety with celebrity ambassadorships, but by making company history with the creation of this role.
What is particularly interesting about this news is the fact that actually Coach started as a men’s accessories company. That’s right, the Coach we all know and love is more than just a handbag company. Coach was started in 1941 in Manhattan as a leather company that made wallets and billfolds. In a way Coach has been at the forefront of men’s lifestyle for decades now. It’s only fitting that they are leading this shift in the industry.
Lifestyle brands can be anything that embody the aspirations, attitudes, and general interests of a target group, with the hopes of motivating or inspiring said target group. However, many men’s brands, like Coach (who started out as men’s lifestyle brand) have moved away from being a men’s lifestyle brand over the years. Next to Women’s lifestyle brands, Men’s has long been place on the back burner. As much as we’re all for girl power and women’s lines dominating the industry, fashion is fashion. We are excited to start seeing men’s brands evolve beyond just fashion and into lifestyle. Women have such a vast array of lifestyle brands, yet it is a mostly untapped space for mens. Blogs, instagram brands (stores, blogs, lifestyle influencers), YouTubers (gurus, beauty gurus, vloggers) media outlet Popsugar, LaCroix, Sephora, or all-encompassing lifestyle brands like Jessica Alba’s The Honest Co. which produces baby food, cleaning supplies, children’s furniture, and some beauty products; these are just some of the many examples of women’s lifestyle brands that don’t focus exclusively on apparel.
We at AMP3 are so happy to see Coach getting back to its roots. Not only that but, it may symbolize a change in the industry. Menswear has for a long time been an afterthought, if this is any indication that the industry is going to wake up and realize that there is a market that hasn’t been fully tapped yet we’re all for it!
As always, if you have any thoughts you’d like to share, make sure to engage with us on twitter using #amp3blogthoughts. We would love to hear from you!
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