In mid December, we heard that Selena Gomez had landed a whopping $10 million dollar deal to design for and represent the fashion brand Coach, known for their classic handbags. She was reportedly going to work on some kind of capsule collection with them, as was suggested by an Instagram she posted announcing the collaboration. She wrote “Being able to create is my favorite thing in the whole world. I’m so excited to be a part of the vision and family @coach AND I get the honor to design with @stuartvevers.” Vevers has been the creative director for the label since 2013, and his work has a 70s bohemian meets city aesthetic. Selena is the most followed person on Instagram so while her (unconfirmed) price tag for this may seem exorbitant, she’s a huge influencer and Coach obviously thinks she’s worth it.

Coach has just released the first images for their campaign featuring Selena. She’s lounging back in a classic car clutching a purse, she’s checking herself out in a full length mirror in Coach’s patchwork jeans while admiring her bag, and she looks serene and like she’s using her purse as a shield. This is a go-to move for Coach ads. Chloe Moretz’s ads for the purse line look strikingly similar. I guess there are only so many ways you can show off a purse plus these were shot by the same photographer, Steven Meisel. So far we haven’t seen any pieces that Selena has designed, but apparently they’re coming. Here’s what Vevers told The Telegraph about Coach’s collaboration with Selena.

“She speaks to a generation, her realness and honesty really connects,” analyses Vevers who is still on a high after celebrating winning accessories designer of the year at the CFDAs (fashion’s answer to the Oscars) earlier this month. “She’s aspirational but she comes across as an authentically good person and she’s very beautiful but in a real way.”

In the new autumn/winter campaign, Gomez has been photographed by Steven Meisel staring dreamily from the back seat of a classic car clutching Coach’s Rogue bag, a style which she has also been captured using in her every day life.

“I wanted Selena to feel at ease,” Vevers explains. “We focused on nostalgic prairie floral dresses with the ease of a t-shirt. The car symbolises an American road trip and that feeling of freedom. It’s the idea of Selena escaping New York city for an adventure.”

The clever twist to Coach’s partnership with Gomez is that it goes far beyond her simply appearing in their campaigns, as is usually the deal. Instead, Gomez will be collaborating with Vevers creatively and there is a philanthropic element too, with Coach and Gomez working together to empower young women through the Step Up foundation. In March, they celebrated World Kindness Day with a visit to an LA high school at which Gomez spoke to a girls’ after school club about self esteem and confidence building.

[From The Telegraph]

I know what Vevers means about Selena. She has that kind of accessible girl next-door beauty. However I think a lot of that is styling and that’s she’s usually so fresh-faced she can take on different looks in that people don’t expect to see her a certain way. Imagine Ariana Grande as the face of Coach. It’s hard, right? She always wears cat eye makeup and crazy long extensions and she has a very specific street style and red carpet style. For branding purposes they want a more adaptable, wholesome look hence they went with Chloe and now Selena. Plus they knew Selena would easily fit their brand. Her style is adaptable that way. I think these images are lovely, they just don’t inspire me to buy a Coach purse. This isn’t my aesthetic it’s very young instead of the classic preppy look I used to associate with Coach. I haven’t carried a Coach purse in a few years although I used to be loyal to the brand. I’m not their target market anymore despite the fact that my generation has a lot more money. Their purses have changed under Vevers too and aren’t as much my style.

Selena Gomez's Debut Coach Campaign Is Here! https://t.co/r3YAY2EKFN

— People Magazine (@people) June 20, 2017

Photos credit: Backgrid and Coach