He is cool, handsome, witty and plays quite a villain in Black Panther but never would we think that actor and Coach global ambassador Michael B Jordan would proudly claim that he is a major fan of Naruto.
A global phenomenon that took over the world, Naruto, the Japanese anime and manga series that tells the story of a mythical Ninja universe, is now making a guest appearance for Jordan’s first-ever creative collaboration for Coach, under the creative direction of Stuart Vevers.
Immortalising the characters of Naruto into a luxury fashion capsule collection, Coach unveils a unisex collection that features ready-to-wear, bags and footwear to our delight.
On Jordan, Veverssays, “He’s a great collaborator because he always puts his heart and soul into everything he does and because he brought something authentic and personal to the collection.”
But before we get on to the designs, we also present to you a campaign film for the launch of the collection, which is directed by Black Panther cinematographer Rachel Morrison that brings Jordan into the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to tell the story of connections within the community.
The story also reflects the Naruto backstory, which speaks closely to Jordan’s own narrative as an outlier building bridges inside and outside of the Hollywood establishment, and echoes Coach’s commitment to community and courage.
Watch the film below:
Onwards to the collection, various Naruto character and motifs are brought to play within the collection. The first look at the bags (backpack, tote and bumbags include) shows a reinterpretation of the Sharingan and Sennin eye motif (a heavily featured superpower used by the Naruto lead characters) with the new Coach “Retro C” logo featured within.
The eye motifs are also featured as patches for the shoes and outwear of the collection.
On the jackets, we have an array of shearling, denim and leather creations that bring not only the cool vibes of Jordan into the array but also feature illustrations of two of the most popular characters, Naruto and Itachi.
Other motifs include the cloud print, a reference to the series’s cult group Akatsuki, and flame motifs (a recurring aesthetic within the Naruto universe), while some silhouettes like the vest and pants give a nod to the uniforms worn by the characters.
Last but not least, we have two t-shirt designs. One features the Densetsu no Sannin (Legendary Ninja Tro) in black, white and grey editions, while the other draws inspiration from Naruto’s famed P2P console game that sees the two lead characters fighting for a tournament sponsored by Coach.
See the collection below:
On the collaboration, Jordan says, “With my name on this collection, it was important to design pieces that represent my cultural influences
and my community; pieces that I could see my friends, family and fans wearing with pride.
“As with all aspects of my work, this collection is about bringing fresh perspectives and unique voices to the forefront. Expanding into the fashion design space was rewarding beyond my expectations. I’m grateful to Stuart and Coach for providing me with the opportunity and expertise to execute a collection I’m extremely proud of.”
In celebration of the launch of the collection, Coach will have the collection with global pop-ups in Japan, Malaysia and the United States, a dedicated Coach experience in the VIZ Media booth at New York Comic Con on 3rd to 6th October 2019, and a range of limited-edition T-shirts.
The Coach x Michael B Jordan collection featuring Naruto is now available at the Coach Pavilion KL pop-up space, Pavilion KL flagship store and Suria KLCC men’s store.
