Inspired by a renewed cultural embrace of long-form storytelling, "Explore Your Story" taps into a growing tension: Gen Z lives in a short-form, fast-paced digital world, and yet they are increasingly turning back toward books as a way to explore identity, self-expression, and possibility. Through the campaign, Coach champions storytelling as a way to express all of who you are and have the Courage to Be Real, creating room for connection through shared experiences: from books and book clubs to digital communities and campus conversations.
"One of the clearest insights we heard from Gen Z globally is how central storytelling is to how they make sense of who they are—and who they're becoming," said Joon Silverstein, Coach Chief Marketing Officer. "In a world shaped by fragmentation, digital overload, and constant acceleration, many described books and long-form storytelling as a refuge—a way to slow down, reflect, and feel a sense of belonging. 'Explore Your Story' grew from that insight, and from our desire to show up alongside this generation as they find the confidence to write their own narratives."
Six boundary-breaking members of the Coach community star in the two films that anchor the campaign. Returning global ambassadors include Academy Award-nominated actress and producer Elle Fanning, Emmy-winning actress and producer Storm Reid, Korean artist, singer-songwriter and producer SOYEON, and Japanese singer-songwriter Lilas. They are joined by Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, now in an expanded role with the brand, and Shan Yichun, a breakthrough Chinese singer who joins Coach for the first time. Together, they span film, music and sport, and each embody Coach's grounding purpose: The Courage to Be Real.
Directed by Marcus Ibanez, the two campaign films bring storytelling to life through intimate vignettes that show how a powerful story can shift perspectives, spark possibility, and foster community. As each cast member reads a book, the world transforms around her, showing how stories can inspire courage and connection. Each book featured is mirrored by a matching, readable book charm, part of Coach's new collection, which hangs from each protagonist's Tabby bag. The films are complemented by a suite of still imagery captured by award-winning photographer Elaine Constantine.
Coach's iconic Tabby bag is a key part of "Explore Your Story," appearing across campaign content and IRL experiences with a new twist: the brand has introduced a collection of readable book charms that let consumers wear their Tabby with a story worth sharing. The collection includes twelve miniature, readable book charms featuring titles from around the world—among them Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun, and Natsu Miyashita's The—selected for their narratives around self-expression and chosen collaboratively with Gen Z consumers worldwide.
At the heart of "Explore Your Story" is a belief that stories bring people together—and they become more powerful when more voices join in. To help shape the campaign and select the book charm titles, Coach partnered with Gen Z–led communities and cultural platforms including Sunnie — a Gen Z–focused media, experiential, and lifestyle brand with a social-first book club backed by Hello Sunshine founder, actress and producer Reese Witherspoon, and China Youth Daily, China's leading youth media organization. In tandem, the brand worked exclusively with Penguin Random House in the US, and with independent publishers across China, Japan and Korea, to bring the book charm titles to life and connect with the books' authors, inviting them to become a part of the Coach community and share their creative process. The conversation continues through partnerships with the WNBA and Bilibili, China's leading Gen Z video platform, to amplify and deepen the campaign message, creating shared spaces where stories of self-expression can be explored together.
"Storytelling doesn't happen in silos, and neither does self-expression," said Silverstein. "We intentionally brought together partners from different parts of culture—fashion, literature, sport, and digital culture—because Gen Z doesn't experience identity in one lane. Our role isn't to speak for communities, but to create shared spaces where many voices can come together around a belief in the power of storytelling and the courage it takes to be real."
The campaign goes further with a series of global experiences designed to bring Gen Z together in real life. "Explore Your Story" will extend onto college campuses across the U.S., Asia and beyond through the "Coach Tabby Tour: Explore Your Story Edition," a traveling community hub where students can connect, share stories, and take part in campaign programming. In Coach stores, the brand reimagines its Customization Bars as Coach Book Nooks, introducing new ways for consumers to personalize bags, book charms, and bookmarks. The Coach Foundation's annual Dream Day events will also carry the campaign forward around the world. Titled "Write Your Next Chapter," Dream Day 2026 will bring together young people in the foundation's Dream It Real program for a day of community-building, mentorship, and story-focused workshops designed to help them author their futures with confidence.
HIGH-RES DOWNLOAD:
CAMPAIGN IMAGES
CAMPAIGN VIDEOS
Watch the campaign here.
Shop the Spring 2026 Collection here
FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS:
Director: Marcus Ibanez
Photographer: Elaine Constantine
Director of Photography: Patrick Golan
Production Company: New—Land
Stylist: Olivier Rizzo
Choreographers: Holly Blakely, Chaewon Kim
Movement Director, Photography: Paul Sadot
Hair: Jenda Alcorn (Elle), Jazmyn Hobdy (Storm), Hayley Logan (Paige), Zhao Wenzhi (Shan), Chun A Ram (SOYEON), Oh Ji Hye (Lilas)
Makeup: Erin Ayanian Monroe (Elle), Pauly Blanch (Storm), Kenneth Soh (Paige), Xue BingBing (Shan), Kim Haemin (SOYEON), Moon Ji-Won(Lilas)
Manicurist: Chiara Ballisai (Elle), Emily Rose Lansley (Storm and Paige), Kim Jin Sol (SOYEON), Moon Ji-Won (Lilas)
Stylist: Samantha McMillen (Elle), Jason Bolden (Storm), Rebecca Grice (Paige), Kim Young Man (SOYEON), Keita Sasaki (Lilas)
Music: Composed and performed by Jean-Marc Yee, represented by String and Tins Limited
Creative Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
Creative Strategy: Mandai Loop
Titles in the Coach Book Charm Collection
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
I'll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson
Friday I'm in Love, by Camryn Garrett
Untamed, by Glennon Doyle
Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
The Forest of Wool and Steel, by Natsu Miyashita
Honeybees and Distant Thunder, by Riku Onda
Honmono, by Sung Haena
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, by Hwang Bo-Reum
The Book of Answers, by Carol Bolt
The Try Everything Life, by Yan Xiaoyu
About Coach
Coach is a global fashion house founded in New York in 1941. Inspired by the vision of Creative Director Stuart Vevers and the inclusive and courageous spirit of its hometown, the brand makes beautiful things, crafted to last—for you to be yourself in.
Coach is a Tapestry, Inc. brand. Tapestry is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TPR.
Coach's Partners
From social-first book clubs to global publishing powerhouses, Coach has collaborated with the following partners to bring "Explore Your Story" to life across the globe.
Hello Sunshine
Founded by Reese Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates and discovers. Hello Sunshine tells stories across all platforms – from scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series – all shining a light on where women are now and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese's Book Club. Fast growing in reach and influence, this community is propelled by meaningful connections with stories, authors, and fellow members. Sunnie, Hello Sunshine's Gen Z–focused media, experiential, and lifestyle brand with a social-first book club, was created for and by the next generation of women. Sunnie has acted as a Gen Z beta community for the "Explore Your Story" campaign, with members of the Sunnie Reads advisory board helping shape messaging, curate book titles central to the campaign, and share their personal connection to these stories through monthly installments of "Sunnie Stacks" book recommendations.
China Youth Daily
China's leading youth media organization, China Youth Daily is committed to sharing the stories that matter, with a focus on education and social progress. The group has been integral in shaping the development of "Explore Your Story," including offering insight on book charm titles and co-creating messaging, and will help to organize a cross-country campus tour featuring mobile storytelling stations and book-sharing pop-ups beginning on April 23—World Book Day.
Penguin Random House
An international publishing powerhouse, Penguin Random House creates books for everyone and joins Coach in championing stories of courageous self-expression. As the exclusive U.S. publishing partner for "Explore Your Story," Penguin Random House brings their publishing expertise to Coach's history of craft with the creation of the book charm collection—featuring dogleash clips, an embossed, glovetanned leather spine, and the full, readable text to many well-loved titles. Penguin Random House was also pivotal in connecting the brand with participating authors.
WNBA
Coach continues its multi-year partnership with the WNBA as a champion of courageous self-expression on and off the court. The league's Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers, stars in one of the campaign films, and Coach and the WNBA will cohost community events that highlight the power of storytelling, including a Coach Tabby Tour stop by Brooklyn's Barclays Center with appearances from WNBA athletes, and several episodes of the brand's new conversation series, Coach Story Sessions, with a focus on rewriting the rules of the game.
Bilibili
China's leading Gen Z video platform, Bilibili is working with Coach to bring the messages behind "Explore Your Story" to young people across the country—platforming a discussion series that tackles questions around identity, self-expression and the role of fiction in our lives today, sponsoring several episodes of the popular video podcast "Luyu Talks" themed around courage and authenticity, and hosting an activation at the country's annual Graduation Stage event that bridges music, storytelling, and self-expression.
CONTACT:
Brooke Hudson, Director, Global Brand Communications
[email protected]
Tessa O'Connell, Director, Global Public Relations
[email protected]
SOURCE Coach
Share this article