Coach has hit up hip celebs to push their new line. The fact that I don’t know many of these hip celebrities is another story.

It’s one of the oldest, and most effective, tricks in the fashion marketing handbook. Want to generate buzz about your new line? Dress up hot young celebrities in your new threads and watch the money roll in.

That’s exactly the strategy Coach is using to push their fall line of handbags. In the new campaign, Coach features striking black-and-white photography of musicians Zoe Kravitz and Banks, as well as actress Odeya Rush, all clutching to their fancy Coach purses.

Coach isn’t limiting this fall push to women, as the brand also features actor Christopher Abbott modeling satchels. As a fan of good photography, I appreciate the dramatic framing and composition of the photos. The shots of Kravitz and Abbott in the rain are particularly effective. Everything’s more dramatic with rain!

I don’t claim to be an expert on women’s fashion, but I’ve got some serious questions about Kravitz’s sweater. I’m pretty sure they stole that from my first-grade teacher. She wore a sweater just like that. Honest question, is frumpy cool now? That would be the ultimate irony.

All told, it’s a reliable, go-to campaign for Coach. There’s lots of overlap in the Venn diagram between consumers who read People magazine and those who follow fashion trends. Putting the “next big thing” celeb in your ads guarantees attention from your target market. I’m still wondering what’s up with that spaceship sweater, though.

Howard Davidson Arlington MA