Coach Went All Out for Pride at NYC-Institution The Monster

On a rainy night in June, Coach hosted a pride party at the iconic West Village nightclub The Monster to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. “I’ve always believed fashion should be about community, and what better way to bring a community together than with a celebration at The Monster, a place that has created a feeling of home for so many,” said Coach creative director Stuart Vevers. “Celebrating Pride is also about inspiring us to express ourselves as we really are—it’s a tribute to spaces where we can be our real selves.” 

Guests escaped the inclement weather and were welcomed by decor that embodied the evening’s vibrant essence. Colorful floral arrangements in every shade of orchids, peonies, and pampas grass embellished the backdrop of glistening disco balls and rainbow neon signs. The bright pink specialty cocktail list paid homage to the legendary Stonewall Inn. Though it wasn’t a night for open-toed shoes, it was undoubtedly the perfect time to break out your vintage Coach baguette. The soiree’s dress code called for attendees to arrive as their most authentic selves, encouraging maximalism for the masses. 

“My first experience with Coach was my sister having a coach wristlet in the eighth grade. I was in fifth grade and in the closet at the time, but really wanted one. I wished I was a part of that.” Benny Drama told Vogue. “It feels so good now to be out and a part of the pride campaign with people I respect and love.” The upcoming Go All Out For Pride campaign features friends of Coach Saucy Santana, Benito Skinner (Benny Drama), Joel Kim Booster, Linux, The Icon Meeka “Queen Mother Alpha Omega,” and Sasha Calle. Captured by photographer Anderson Martinez, the forthcoming campaign introduces the Coach Pride collectsion of bags, T-shirts, and shoes featuring a rainbow treatment of the brand’s signature pattern.

“As a trans woman, being one of the faces for the pride campaign was a pinch-me moment. When I was a boy in high school, all the cool girls had Coach bags, and I wanted one so badly,” Linux told Vogue. “Now it’s a full-circle moment that Coach not only is celebrating people, but they’re giving a platform to trans voices like mine.” Beyond the forward-facing fashion lies a deeper meaning, with The Coach Foundation advocating for the ACLU and the brand’s continued partnership with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Point Foundation, and CenterLink Community of LGBTQ Centers. 

Pride party-goers included SNL’s Bowen Yang, Tommy Dorfman, Andrew Ahn, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Adam Eli, Leyna Bloom, Eli Brown, Ama Elsesser, and superstars of RuPaul’s Drag Race, among others. Under the cascading multicolored lights, guests cheered for a live performance by Saucy Santana, singing along to viral hits Walk and Material Girl. “I try to involve my community in everything that I do. I try to always include my culture. We sometimes get the short end of the stick, so I try to create any opportunities that I have to bring my community with me,” Saucy Santana told Vogue.

The evening concluded with DJ sets by Aquaria and Oscar Nñ of Papi Juice, celebrating the legacy of The Monster, a haven and place of connection for New York’s LGBTQIA+ community for several decades. “Pride is more than a brand partnership for me. I was really excited about this one because of the other people involved from so many different corners of this community,” said Joel Kim Booster. “It’s exciting to see the diversity that they picked and not just diversity in terms of race and gender and whatever, but also in terms of what we do.”