During an era that is being defined by scrolls and swipes, Coach is asking us to pause and turn the page. For Spring 2026, the New York house unveils “Explore Your Story,” a campaign crafted with Gen Z voices across the globe. Spanning communities from the United States to China, the project reframes storytelling as both refuge and rebellion, representing a return to analog during an era of acceleration.
“One of the clearest insights we heard from Gen Z globally is how central storytelling is to how they make sense of who they are — and who they’re becoming,” said Joon Silverstein, Coach Chief Marketing Officer. “In a world shaped by fragmentation, digital overload, and constant acceleration, many described books and long-form storytelling as a refuge — a way to slow down, reflect, and feel a sense of belonging. ‘Explore Your Story’ grew from that insight, and from our desire to show up alongside this generation as they find the confidence to write their own narratives.”
At the center of the campaign is the iconic Tabby bag, now adorned with a new collection of fully readable miniature book charms. The adornments — twelve miniature, readable titles — were selected in collaboration with Gen Z communities worldwide. Among them: ‘Sense and Sensibility’ by Jane Austen, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou, ‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ by Jandy Nelson, and works by Japanese novelist Natsu Miyashita. Each charm becomes an accessory with interiority.
The curated campaign’s cast itself reads like a modern-day story full of heroines. Academy Award–nominated actress Elle Fanning, Emmy-winning multi-hyphenate Storm Reid, Korean artist and producer SOYEON, Japanese singer-songwriter Lilas, breakthrough Chinese vocalist Shan Yichun, and WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers each inhabit a cinematic vignette directed by Marcus Ibanez. Captured in still form by photographer Elaine Constantine, the visuals feel both nostalgic and urgent: girlhood bedrooms, campus lawns, rehearsal spaces are each transformed by the quiet power of reading. Through intimate scenes, stories quite literally reshape their surroundings with pages turning into portals, solitude shifting into shared experience.
“Storytelling doesn’t happen in silos, and neither does self-expression,” said Silverstein. “We intentionally brought together partners from different parts of culture — fashion, literature, sport, and digital culture — because Gen Z doesn’t experience identity in one lane. Our role isn’t to speak for communities, but to create shared spaces where many voices can come together around a belief in the power of storytelling and the courage it takes to be real.”
To shape the campaign’s literary spine, Coach partnered with Sunnie, the Gen Z-focused cultural platform backed by Hello Sunshine founder Reese Witherspoon, alongside China Youth Daily. Publishing collaborators include Penguin Random House in the U.S. and independent houses across China, Japan, and Korea. The dialogue extends further through partnerships with the WNBA and Chinese video platform Bilibili, expanding storytelling into sport and digital space.
Beyond the screen, “Explore Your Story” unfolds in real time. The “Coach Tabby Tour: Explore Your Story Edition” will travel to college campuses across the U.S. and Asia, creating mobile hubs for conversation and creative exchange. In-store, Customization Bars transform into Book Nooks — tactile spaces for personalising bags, charms, and bookmarks. Meanwhile, the Coach Foundation’s Dream Day 2026 — titled ‘Write Your Next Chapter’ — will gather participants from its Dream It Real programme for mentorship and workshops centred on authorship in every sense of the word.
During a moment where people are feeling disconnected and fragmented, Coach is proposing something that feels new: embracing slowness and making space to begin connection again simply by starting conversations with: “What are you reading?”
photography. courtesy of Coach
words. Kelsey Barnes
