To celebrate its first global flagship opening in Shanghai, Coach has launched a celebrity charity imitative whereby 60 international and Asian stars will design customized Coach totes for an online auction. Titled Star Totes, this campaign has been vastly successful in other parts of the world having started in Japan. Taking the campaign to China for the first time ever, you can expect to see totes designed by Jessica Alba, Lucy Liu, Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron, Jackie Chan, Gigi Leung, Chin Ling Lin, Dee Hsu, Karen Mok, Chen Yao, Xiaoran Li, Yuanyuan Gao, Liangying Zhang and Alek Su, to name but a few.


Coach has chosen the Jackie Chan Almsdeed Foundation to benefit from this initiative and all proceeds from the auction will go to the foundation. The online auction starts on April 22, to coincide with the flagship’s grand opening date with no minimum bid set. For more details and a full list of celebrities participating, visit http://china.coach.com/startotes or call the Hong Kong Central flagship store at 2868 9676

When the people from Coach came to Hong Kong and met up with a bunch of local bloggers for lunch, I told their digital director David that I'm not his target audience, because Coach is entry-level luxury, and in my job, it's important to hang onto that more elusive brand of unattainability. I have carried Coach in the past so it's not disdain for the brand, just that it doesn't catch my current fancy. Well that might just have changed. Michelle Tractenberg has designed a capsule collection for Coach Poppy and I'm quite liking the whole Tom Binns-lite vibe, especially since I get the sense that Tom Binns is a) out of my range and b) really heavy.

For our first Geek Gab of the year, we talk to the Coach design team about their inspiration for their latest collection.

Hong Kong Fashion Geek: What was the inspiration behind the Coach Spring 2010 collection?

Coach Design Team: Spring was inspired by a subdued and sophisticated color palette of pale yellows and blues, easy neutrals, and natural metallics. Silhouettes are softer and more organic in feel and texture.

HKFG: If you had to only choose one design as your favorite, which would it be?
Coach: The entire Kristin collection really personifies the Coach aesthetic, so for that reason, along with it's pretty array of colors and fabrications, it's one of our favorites.

HKFG: Do you have any designs that are specifically targeted for Hong Kong and the Greater China market?
Coach: We design for the Coach customer as a whole; she is chic, fashionable, and modern. Of course from time to time, a special occasion or one-off design calls for some exclusivity and we do like to create a small assortment of pieces for individual markets. Look for exclusive items in China this spring.

HKFG: What outfit would you suggest for the Spring collection's hero product?
Coach: We think a roomy, easy jacket or chiffon-y blouse paired with slim, tailored pants would look great against the refreshingly natural, yet girlish, feel of the Kristin collection.

HKFG: What can we expect from your coming Fall/Winter collection?
Coach: Experimental fabrications with rich attention to detail; think pleating, studding, and supple metallic leathers.

Get it at Coach stores for HKD 14,050