LUXURY brands have made it clear that opening their doors to the masses via hospitality could be a potent attempt at staying competitive against a growing population of casual customers who exhibit little to no brand loyalty.
Branded cafes, hotel collaborations and spas, to name a few, have been their way of inviting potential customers to understand and experience their legacy. One of which has been leading the fashion industry, ironically, in hospitality is Coach. While this move has had the fashion critics at odds as they argue it takes away the brands’ exclusivity, it appears there is no slowing down.
Bringing a bite of the Big Apple to Kuala Lumpur, Coach Play recently opened its doors at A Place Where (APW) in Bangsar. Inspired by the inked history of APW, previously a commercial printing factory known as Art Printing Works in the 60s to 80s, Coach Play was built to reflect the fashion house’s New York heritage and Kuala Lumpur’s dynamic spirit.
Keeping true to its spirited essence, Coach created a welcoming ambience for its patrons with warm lighting and a summery-retro colour palette.
Coach Play
Spotlighting APW’s printing history and Coach’s craftsmanship, visitors are greeted by a printing block of the iconic “C” with APW’s acronym on the side at the reception, illustrating the unification of the brand and the creative industrial space, adding nuance to a rather playful mood. There are also posters that customers can take home as collectibles.
The outlet takes patrons on a “guided” tour as each section is stationed to fully immerse oneself in the Coach experience. Its sections include:
• Archive Room, a mini gallery of APW and Coach’s history featuring local stamps and graphics from The Royal Press Museum in Malacca alongside Coach’s codes, tools, hardware and archival imagery.
• Tabby Shop, a staircase display of the latest and OG tabby collections with neon printing motifs that amps up the playfulness – also, peep Coach’s mascot Rexy in neon at the corner.
• Coachtopia makes its debut in Malaysia at APW, featuring collections of bags and clothes made from recycled and repurposed materials used in its leather bags’ creation.
• Creative Hub, featuring Coach’s first interactive screen-printing service in the world, where patrons can screen-print and customise T-shirts and tote bags from 10 designs, which are archival Coach ads. If you are wondering, the print is durable and waterproof.
• RTW & FTW, the ready-to-wear and footwear section are for the streetwear girlies and boys as it houses the latest collections. Walk a little further and you will see a visual board of Coach’s archival ads, showing its dedication to craftsmanship – it is also a good photo-op.
• Coach Create Bar, a complimentary monogram service that let you play with your creativity by personalising hand tags through a selection of emojis, lettering options and foil colours.
Coach Coffee Shop
The outlet’s sunny disposition is a foreshadow for its cafe that extends the Coach experience. The second of its kind in Malaysia, the Coach Coffee Shop is the largest of all the brand’s cafes with a capacity of 60 pax.
With an animated neon sign of the coffee shop’s mascot Lil Miss Jo, the space is reminiscent of a New York corner store and diner.
While it is typical to serve fusion flavours on a cafe menu in Malaysia, Coach Coffee Shop decides to stay authentic to its roots by serving a quintessentially New Yorkian menu, trusting the locals will be acquiescent to the somewhat familiar flavours.
Nothing says more New York than pastrami on rye, along with the city’s staple the menu also include Americana flavours such as ricotta toast, maple glazed crullers and peanut butter & jelly soft serve, among others.
The genuity of a coffee shop is in its simplest serving that is – coffee. Coach Coffee Shop’s house blend (Rexy roast), which is a blend of Papua New Guinea and Brazilian beans, strikes a balance between nutty and fruity. Pro-tip: Enjoy it as Americano to savour the smoothness and subtle intensity that hits just right.
Those who prefer a singular taste can opt for its single origin (Brazil) that tastes as complete as the blend. Coach plays safe with its gastronomy options but sometimes, it does not take much to impress as authenticity is often just right.
Picking APW to house its second outlet is an earnest attempt at inviting the masses to experience the luxury brand through hospitality – and dare we way, it works. Given the venue’s lifestyle nature and history, Coach understands the pull of APW.
Why wait? Head over to its latest outlet and experience it for yourself.
