Exclusive: Korea’s First Coach Ambassador Yoon Chan-young Tells All
In an exclusive interview with L’Officiel Singapore, actor Yoon Chan-young shares his reaction to being asked to be Coach’s first ambassador for Korea, his first memory of the House and more.
Earlier in March, Coach announced ‘All of Us Are Dead’ actor Yoon Chan-young as their first ambassador for Korea; to advertise campaigns for leather goods, ready-to-wear and footwear starting from its Spring 2022 season.
Through the creative leadership of Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers, the luxury House has evolved as a men’s accessories brand to deliver only the best craftsmanship in leather goods as the years go by.
Below, we talk to Yoon Chan-young about his first memory of the House, what it was like being asked to be the first ambassador for Coach Korea, and what he wishes to get out of this life-changing partnership.
Tell us your first memory of Coach.
Back when I was filming ‘All of Us Are Dead’, Coach gave me a leather backpack as a present. I always dreamed of having a leather backpack and going to my university. So the first impression that I received from Coach was that warmth.
What was your reaction to the House approaching you to be the first ambassador for Korea?
It was really an honour for me to have a global brand with such a long heritage and tradition, like Coach, ask for me to become their ambassador. So I was very honoured and at the same time, I was very proud of myself, too.
Which part of Coach's style and allure stands out to you the most?
Coach has a brand purpose known as “courage to be real” and I really related to that because I believe in the good energy that comes out from being yourself, being authentic and being your natural self.
What about Coach’s House codes? What do you appreciate most about it?
First of all, Coach’s leather products are quite special. They're really good quality. And overall, I think that these items talk about confidence. At the same time, Coach has a long historical tradition, whilst remaining very trendy. It does a lot of collaboration with the different brands and it appeals to so many different people; that diversity appeals to so many. And on top of that, the tradition and the trendiness.
Besides the bag that you mentioned before, do you have a favourite piece from the House’s latest collection or any collection in general? And if so, what appeals to you about it?
My favourite is this t-shirt that has a drawing of a rabbit on it and it's really cute. The moment I saw it, I thought to myself, “Oh, this is for me”. It's really cute and it's part of the spirit. I wore it during the spring collection photoshoot as well. It's made out of organic cotton, so it's environmentally friendly. It's for a good cause as well.
As an ambassador and also a consumer of Coach, why do you think so many people gravitate towards the brand.
I think the reason that so many people have been gravitating to Coach for so many years is because of its outstanding quality. There is this timeless feature of Coach products; for example, the bag that was used by the dad or the mom to be passed down to sons or daughters. It's timeless. And as time goes by, the Coach products add on this natural appeal as well, because the person who uses it has their time, their experience, and their work all melted into that product and it becomes part of that product itself. And I think that that's just a very unique feature of Coach.
What do you hope to accomplish with this partnership with Coach?
I think that there is another different colour of coach that I can express and show because I'm at a young age. As you know, Coach has a long tradition of history. But at the same time, I think that there is a fashion that can be expressed by the younger generation. So I think I will play that role by working with a Coach to try something very unique and diverse.
