Daily Front Row

2009 April 1

An Excellent Vintage

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A dress featuring a sketch by Bonnie Cashin
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(NEW YORK) Fashion designer Bonnie Cashin was largely responsible for guiding the direction of American fashion towards sportswear in the early to middle twentieth century. The native Californian briefly designed costumes for films (including Laura and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) before launching her eponymous collection in 1949. But Cashin is most renowned for her work with Coach, a then-small ready-to-wear brand for whom she launched an accessories collection in 1963.

For Spring 2009, Coach's president and executive creative director Reed Krakoff has looked to the past and infused a new line, entitled the Bonnie Collection, with some of Cashin's sensibilities. "Bonnie Cashin left an indelible imprint on fashion during her time with Coach," Krakoff explains. "With the Bonnie collection, I wanted to fuse some of her archived vintage designs with our well-known modern aesthetic. The result is a playful reinterpretation of her iconic imagery and unparalleled talent for our latest spring collection."

The collection of bags includes styles that feature Cashin's drawings for the house, like a fuschia canvas tote. Several more basic styles, including a leather fold-over crossbody style in a peppy shade of pink and several scarves and dresses, round out the line. The Bonnie collection retails from $168 (for a crossbody zip bag in jacquard) to $1,200. The pieces are available in-store and online at Coach.com as of this week.
ASHLEY BAKER