This spring, when most luxury fashion brands seem obsessed with keeping us sprinting toward the next big thing, it’s time to flip the script entirely. Coach’s Spring 2025 campaign, titled “On Your Own Time,” isn’t just about showing off chain-strapped Tabbys or 90s-inspired Soho sneakers (though they’re definitely worth talking about). It’s something deeper—a quiet rebellion against the relentless cult of productivity. Starring Elle Fanning, Nazha, Kōki, and Youngji Lee, the campaign delivers a refreshingly subversive message: What if your handbag wasn’t just an accessory to the grind but a shield against it?
The Slow Lane Is the New Fast Track
The Italians have a phrase for this kind of living—dolce far niente, or the sweetness of doing nothing—but leave it to New York-born Coach to package the idea of slowing down for Gen Z. Directed by Henry Scholfield, the campaign’s films feel like a much-needed escape for anyone who’s ever felt their phone buzz with the anxiety-inducing urgency of a ticking time bomb. In one scene, Elle Fanning looks frazzled, notifications swarming around her like gnats while she clutches her Tabby bag. Then—click. She closes the bag, and suddenly, time bends. She’s no longer just navigating chaos; she’s controlling it. It’s The Matrix meets mindfulness, but with way better outerwear.
What makes this different from all the wellness clichés we’ve heard before? Coach doesn’t just tell you to slow down—it acknowledges that true luxury lies in what you choose to ignore. The Spring 2025 collection reflects this duality perfectly. There are leather blazers sharp enough to command respect in a boardroom, paired with patchwork denim loose enough for a lazy afternoon stroll. Even the chain detailing on the new Tabby feels deliberate—precious, but not fragile. It’s a luxury that whispers instead of shouts.
The Tabby Bag as a Symbol of Control
For a generation raised on hustle culture, Coach’s Spring 2025 Campaign feels less like a marketing campaign and more like permission to breathe. As Coach CMO Joon Silverstein puts it, Gen Z’s fear of “falling behind” has turned self-expression into a high-stakes race. But the pieces in this collection—like the slouchy Empire bag or the retro-inspired Soho sneaker—offer a counterargument: You can’t curate a meaningful life at full speed.
Try pairing the cotton swing coat with your work-from-home rotation and see how it subtly shifts your energy. Or throw on the Brooklyn bag with some patchwork jeans and embrace the contradictions that make you unique. Because here’s the thing: You can be ambitious and still refuse to sync your calendar. Why shouldn’t you?
A Luxury Brand in the Age of Mindfulness
Of course, it’s worth asking whether promoting luxury goods as tools for mindfulness risks feeling performative—or worse, exclusionary. Does owning a $5,000 handbag really help you reclaim your time, or does it just highlight the privilege required even to consider slowing down? These tensions remind us that blending personal empowerment with consumerism is a tricky business.
Still, there’s something undeniably appealing about the idea of reclaiming control over your attention. For decades, luxury has been synonymous with status symbols—watches, cars, and designer logos. But Coach’s Spring 2025 collection suggests a shift: Maybe the ultimate luxury isn’t owning more things but deciding what deserves your focus—and what doesn’t.
The Clock Stops Here
At the end of the day, the secret to modern luxury might not be another productivity hack—it’s having the courage to let the world wait. Trends will come and go, but one thing feels certain: Coach’s real innovation lies not in its stitching but in its stance. Your time, your rules. Now, who’s ready to live by it?