Top image: Still from Coach Spring 18 by Steven Meisel

Yesterday marked the launch of the Coach SS18 campaign. With Keith Haring’s iconic illustrations at the heart of this season’s collection, the series of images reference the playful nature of his work.

The New York artist seems like an obvious choice for the brand due to their shared commitment to reinterpreting and catering to everyday life and underground cultures. The East Coast born and bred Haring rose to fame by bringing together the art world and the street, painting on sidewalks, subways, as well as large-scale canvas and acrylics (now, sold for as high as $6,000,000 ), reflecting on themes such as exploitation, drug abuse, nuclear holocaust, and HIV/AIDS. Haring’s work has previously been emblazoned on sought-after Supreme hoodies and, more recently, a line with its offspring, NOAH.

The New York artist’s stylised graphics adorn Coach’s signature leathers in bold colours, referencing Americana with a particularly contemporary touch. At the core of SS18 sit leathers, shearling, glitter, Western boots and soft suede alongside a brand new a re-edition of an archival bag design, the 1972 Mailbox. With the collection, Coach’s creative director Stuart Vevers is attempting to mirror the ethos of inclusivity that has defined Haring’s pop art and graffiti-like work for the past four decades.

For the campaign, Coach has taken the campaign party indoors, to your wealthy friend’s Midtown loft, a seeming continuation of the fashion house’s previous shoot that saw a group of models strolling the streets of New York City. Shot by Steven Meisel, the visual campaign consists of photographs and a short film soundtracked by Twin Shadow.

Take a peek at the SS18 campaign video below.