In this week’s luxury briefing, a look at the accessible luxury category, with Coach sharing how it is approaching new customer groups and marketing channels. Also, Bain’s and Entrupy’s new reports, G-III’s earnings, and news to know. For tips or comments, email me at zofia@glossy.co
Coach is ramping up its WNBA partnership: It will run linear TV ads during nationally televised games this month, and it’s planning a big marketing moment that will coincide with the WNBA All-Star Weekend in July.
On April 14, the brand became the first luxury house to partner with the WNBA at the league level, debuting a multiyear collaboration designed to align with the league’s growing cultural clout. The announcement came just ahead of the April 15 WNBA Draft, where Coach dressed five athletes for the orange carpet. The move generated immediate results. Coach earned $1.6 million in media impact value from the event, according to data analytics platform Launchmetrics.
The partnership is part of Coach’s 2025 brand strategy to tap into cultural moments like the Draft and Pride Month to reach new audiences via TV, social media and live events. Last year, WNBA games averaged 1.19 million viewers, up 170% from 2023. The WNBA campaign is also the first time Coach has committed to a league-wide partnership in North America at this scale.
“It’s giving us an additional arm of storytelling,” Kimberley Landry Wallengren, vp of North America marketing at Coach, said at SXSW in London. “When you think of someone like [WNBA players] Paige Bueckers or Kiki Rice, they’re showing courageous self-expression [via personal style and advocacy], both on and off the court.”
The campaign features short-form content spotlighting five rookies, including Paige Bueckers (1 million Instagram followers) and Kiki Rice (190,000 Instagram followers), as they navigate their first professional season — from tunnel walks to on-court milestones. The videos, which also tie to Coach’s “Courage to Be Real” initiative, are airing on linear TV, on social channels and at in-person events.
“We’ve done linear TV before, but it’s been a while,” said Wallengren. “This time, it’s about reaching that WNBA audience with meaningful, purpose-driven content.” Coach is “sequencing” the storytelling across platforms,” Wallengren said. The campaign will first roll out on TV via films, which will be followed by player-led stories on social media, followed by IRL moments at events and during games.
The brand’s WNBA partnership will run through the 2025 season and includes exclusive product drops, on-site experiences and community-driven events around All-Star Weekend in July. Early performance indicators are strong. Wallengren said more than 20,000 people organically visited Coach’s WNBA landing page after the partnership was announced, with over 25% signing up for more information.
The partnership is targeting Gen Z and younger millennials who prioritize representation, values and authenticity in brand relationships. “This audience is incredibly smart. They know when a brand is just jumping in versus when we’ve done the work,” said Wallengren. “What’s exciting about this moment is that it’s not just about basketball; it’s about showing up for a community in ways that are visible and lasting.”
Coach is delivering on that idea of a brand “showing up” by letting athletes like Bueckers create content in their own tone of voice, supported by brand guidelines but unscripted. “We don’t write their scripts. We want them to be real,” Wallengren said. “This is their first professional season. We want to support them as they celebrate their first tunnel walk, their first triple-double, their first three-pointer.”
Tapestry, Coach’s parent company, reported third-quarter revenue of $1.58 billion in May, with Coach accounting for $1.3 billion, up 15% year-over-year.
Coach’s broader strategy includes tapping into communities via platforms. Its past activations on Roblox drove engagement 100 times higher than social and 35 times higher than connected TV. The brand is also building its presence at major events, such as Stagecoach and the Met Gala, utilizing influencer content and behind-the-scenes footage to expand its reach.
In addition, Coach is investing in values-led marketing. In June, it became the presenting sponsor of WNBA Pride, supporting the league’s LGBTQ+ fans and athletes as part of its “always-on” inclusivity efforts. This comes at a time when many American brands are scaling back on inclusivity and DEI initiatives because of political pressures. “Our North Star is to be the most genuine, inclusive fashion brand,” said Wallengren. “This was a great opportunity to rethink how we show up to that community.”
She added, “[Our strategy] used to be about being everywhere. Now it’s about being intentional. Sometimes you have to say no to the shiny new thing and instead go deeper into what really matters to your consumer. For us, that means investing in partnerships that reflect who we are and where we think the future of fashion is headed.”
By the numbers
Within three years, sustainable packaging is expected to represent over 30% of all packaging sold to luxury brands. This is according to a report from the consulting company Bain & Company and Italian packaging manufacturer Fedrigoni.
Matteo Montanari, a Bain partner and co-author of the report, said sustainability is becoming a “core part of the luxury brand experience”. It’s especially important as the industry responds to a loss of 50 million customers in 2024 due to price hikes and a perceived lack of novelty. Climate change and human rights now top sustainability priorities, according to Bain’s research, with brands beginning to embed digital product passports and investing in lower-emission materials to meet 2030 targets.
State of the Fake 2025: 5 fast facts
Released on Wednesday, AI-powered product authenticator Entrupy’s “State of the Fake” report reveals how counterfeits are evolving and what it means for luxury. Here’s what to know now:
- Chanel leads in fakes
Over $500 million in fake Chanel goods were authenticated in 2024, more than any other brand. - Coach wins at DTC
Coach cut its fake rate — the number of items scanned by Entrupy and found to be fake — to 1.81%, down from 5.25%, owed to the brand’s archive drops and tightened control. - Reps go viral
High-quality “reps,” or replicas, are booming on TikTok and YouTube, with buyers proudly carrying fakes. - Fakes still flood resale
8.4% of luxury items scanned by Entrupy through users’ phones last year were counterfeit, and trust gaps persist. - Asia and the U.S. top the charts
These regions conducted 90% of authentications, with the U.S. alone seeing $61 million in fakes.
Earnings
G-III is seeing success with full-price sales of Donna Karan, particularly through new placements in Nordstrom and Saks, according to its earnings reported on June 6. The company, which owns Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld, Vilebrequin and Sonia Rykiel, reported a 34% rise in net income to $7.8 million, despite a 4% decline in sales to $583.6 million. It pulled back its annual profit forecast, putting its sales outlook at $3.14 billion, just below last year’s $3.18 billion.
News to know
- Olivier Rousteing will receive the 2025 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion at the start of New York Fashion Week on September 3. The Award, presented by the Couture Council of The Museum at FIT, will honor Rousteing ‘s 14-year legacy at Balmain.
- Farfetch is expanding to South Korea via Coupang’s R.Lux app, giving brands like Missoni access to one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets.
- On Monday, National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles following ICE raids in the Fashion District, which led to dozens of detentions and sparked mass protests, property damage and a citywide tactical alert.
Listen in
On the latest Glossy Podcast, Jill Manoff and Danny Parisi break down Saks’s financial challenges, including a potential Bergdorf Goodman joint venture and $300 million in new financing. They also share insights from the Glossy E-Commerce Summit in Miami. The episode wraps with a luxury roundtable featuring leaders from Luisaviaroma, McKinsey and General Idea discussing China’s slowdown, the shifting luxury customer tiers and the next era of luxury.
Read on Glossy
David’s Bridal on moving production out of China. Brands are gearing up for tariff-impacted holiday sales. Target’s collaboration strategy with luxury brands.
