What we learnt at Vogue Business Fashion Futures 2025

The fashion industry is being shaped by seismic shifts: artificial intelligence, new definitions of luxury and urgent calls for sustainability. At the Vogue Business Fashion Futures event in New York on 25 September, executives and innovators gathered to explore how creativity, commerce and culture are colliding with new technologies — and what it takes to build a fashion system that works better for everyone.

Through candid fireside chats and panel debates, speakers shared how they’re future-proofing businesses, investing in technologies and reimagining the consumer experience. Here are the key takeaways from the day’s speakers.

Fireside chat: How Coach is building a fashion brand for the future

Coach president of North America Leigh Manheim reflected on how a nearly 100-year-old brand has managed to remain relevant by initiating a comeback. “We knew that we needed to do something different in our business. We weren’t experiencing the growth that we wanted, so we really spent time learning about the customers,” she said.

The key is listening closely to customers and embracing a test-and-learn mentality. Avoiding “last year-itis” has meant rethinking product placement and customer experience. Coach, Manheim said, began selling full-price Tabby bags in outlet stores — a decision rooted in consumer research.

Hospitality is another pillar of the brand’s strategy. Coach has opened two coffee shops inside stores, with 20 more on the way. Positioned in outlet malls, the cafés are designed to foster community and appeal to Gen Z consumers, who view luxury less as a symbol of status and more as a space for authenticity and connection. Even small details matter: because some Gen Z shoppers dislike direct eye contact, store associates now use phones to display products while conversing, making interactions more comfortable.

Sustainability is also central to the brand’s evolution. Coachtopia, a sub-brand launched with Gen Z in mind, repurposes scraps from bestsellers like the Tabby and Brooklyn bags into new designs. Customers can bring Coachtopia items back to Coach stores in exchange for credit, where they are then remade into something new. Manheim said the long-term goal is for these learnings to inform the wider Coach business.

Looking ahead, she said, Coach’s goal is to double its business by 2030 to $10 billion. “A lot of it will be about keeping on the path we’re on. So staying really focused, staying true to our purpose and our values, and continuing to deliver products, experiences and engagement that really fit within our consumers lives.”