Coach + Billy Reid collection touts luxe totes and more
The limited-edition Coach + Billy Reid collaborative collection launched Tuesday, starring the most expensive bag that Coach has ever created: the $20,000 Warrior tote, crafted of Louisiana alligator in an ode to Reid’s Southern roots.
Reid , who hails from Alabama, received the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s 2012 Menswear Designer of the Year Award. He is known for his deft tailoring and a look that reflects the relaxed sophistication of his Southern heritage.
Pieces from the Coach collaboration, which features luxurious styling influenced by archival Coach pieces, were first seen on Reid’s fall 2013 runway. The Coach + Billy Reid collection includes 15 totes bags (from $550); a portable leather Kentucky Cocktail Set containing three leather-wrapped, hand-blown glass flasks, two shot glasses, sterling cocktail utensils and a cocktail napkin ($600); a leather or alligator zip wallet (from $298); a leather- or alligator-wrapped flask (from $200); and a leather baseball glove in two sizes, for children and adults (from $248).
While researching the collection, Reid discovered that a weathered baseball glove served as inspiration for the creation of the original Coach brand in 1941, which was then for men only. Like Reid’s own line, the collaborative pieces are timeless and focus on craftsmanship. In addition to alligator, fabrications include pebbled leather, suede and an archival twill that Coach introduced in the 1970s. Another Reid signature is a custom jacquard pattern from the designer’s dinner jackets that is used as a lining in handbags and on the bar set.
The Coach website even includes a few of Reid’s cocktail recipes, such as Basil Lemonade Bourbon, to accompany the bar set.
Coach + Billy Reid at Coach stores, including Coach in Beverly Hills, 327 N. Rodeo Drive, (310) 247-1309, www.coach.com, Billy Reid stores and www.billyreid.com
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