- The protesters stormed the runway mid-show to condemn the brand for ‘its cruelty to cows and its reliance on environmentally destructive leather products’
- Jennifer Lopez and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour were among the celebrities who witnessed the protest
- Coach has specialized in high-end leather goods since it was founded in 1941
The likes of Jennifer Lopez and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour witnessed quite the spectacle as an anti-leather protest broke out during the Coach show on Thursday night.
Two female PETA supporters brazenly stormed the runway — one of which sported grizzly bodypaint creating the illusion of a ‘skinned’ physique.
‘Coach: Leather Kills’ was scrawled across her bare chest in paint as she confidently made her way down the catwalk before being escorted out by security.
The other animal activist, a blonde woman in a midriff-baring mauve outfit, wielded a sign with the same phrase as well as the PETA logo.
Coach has specialized in high-end leather goods — from handbags to shoes — since it was founded in Manhattan, New York back in 1941.
The protesters’ goal was to condemn the luxury brand ‘for its cruelty to cows and its reliance on environmentally destructive leather products.’
‘Today’s conscientious consumers know that the future of fashion lies in innovative vegan materials, not in cows’ sliced-off skin,’ PETA’s Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement.
‘PETA is shaking up Coach’s catwalk to drive home the message that leather belongs in the annals of history, not in designers’ current collections.’
In a subsequent press release, PETA claimed that ‘cows killed for leather may be skinned and dismembered while they’re still conscious—after they endure castration, tail-docking, and dehorning, without any painkillers, on farms.
‘A PETA exposé of the world’s largest leather processor—which has supplied Coach—showed that workers brand calves on the face, beat cows and bulls, and shock them with electric prods.’
The Coach show is one of many taking place during New York Fashion Week, which kicked off on Thursday and will run through Wednesday, September 13.
Coach debuted their highly-anticipated Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection in front of a sea of celebrity guests.
Jennifer Lopez was among the first A-listers to arrive to the event venue in the Big Apple.
The multi-hyphenate, 54, has been a global ambassador for the luxury brand since 2019 and recently fronted their Spring Summer 2023 campaign as well as a special campaign for Mother’s Day.
For the occasion, the Hustlers star looked phenomenal carrying a $395 silver shoulder bag from the Coach Shine Collection in her manicured clutches.
Lopez strutted her stuff in sexy knee-high snakeskin boots and layered up with an oversized fringe suede jacket.
She looked excited to see the new Spring Summer 2024 collection in-person from her VIP seat
Lopez’s honey-toned hair was swept up in a messy bun and she sported a pair of chic $450 Fendi sunglasses.
Her cheeks had a vibrant peach flush and she rocked her signature glossy nude lip.
She was seated front row with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful.
The mother-of-two was photographed leaving the event and getting into the back of a black chauffeured SUV.
Taking to her Instagram Story, Lopez gave her fans a closer look at her designer getup.
The show attracted a slew of A-listers, including Riverdale actress Camila Mendes and Outer Banks hunk Chase Stokes.
Mendes, 29, went hell for leather by going topless under a black cropped jacket and a low-rise skirt.
The killer combo showed off her flat midriff as she posed for photographers ahead of the runway show.
The Do Revenge star modeled pointed-toe loafers and wore her dark brown hair in an effortless updo.
Stokes — who is dating country songstress Kelsea Ballerini — looked muscular in a white tank top styled with unique flared pants and worn-in sneakers.
Lil Nas X and Dove Cameron were also spotted mingling with fashion lovers before taking a seat for the show.
New York Fashion Week kicked off on Thursday and will run through Wednesday, September 13.
The new Coach collection features a ‘capsule of lovable kiss-print bags’ as well as ‘some very limited (Re)Loved bags inspired by the show.’
Lopez replaced longtime brand ambassador Selena Gomez in 2019 after the Disney Channel alum’s three-year contract.
In a statement at the time, the Selena star expressed that she was ‘so excited’ to be working with Coach.
‘It is a timeless brand that I’ve always been a fan of and the upcoming collection really speaks to my personal style –– an uptown/downtown mix,’ she gushed.
Coach’s creative director Stuart Vevers, who has held the position since 2013, said that Lopez ‘really embodies the attitude of Coach’ due to her authenticity and strength.
He recalled Lopez carrying one of ‘the Coach Signature bags in her 2002 video ‘All I Have” and how her ‘connection’ to New York only makes the partnership all the more appropriate.
On a personal front, Lopez recently moved into a $60million Beverly Hills mansion with her new husband Ben Affleck, 51.
She and the Argo star rekindled their romance in May 2021 after 17 years apart and two failed marriages between them.
Affleck and Lopez were engaged the following April and tied in the knot in July 2022 before hosting a lavish wedding in Georgia that August.
Along with her twins Max and Emme, 14, Lopez also plays stepmother to Affleck’s three children: Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, whom he shares with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
Lopez shares Max and Emme with her ex-husband Marc Anthony.
