Monday Muse: Ali MacGraw Inspires Anna Sui’s Coach Collaboration

Ali MacGraw

Ali MacGraw in Ossie Clark

Ali MacGraw

Ali MacGraw

It’s what fashion fairy tales are made of. Ali MacGraw started her career working at Harper’s Bazaar (under the tutelage of Diana Vreeland herself, no less) and then moved on to become a model at Vogue before she became one of America’s sweethearts with her role in Love Story. She did it all with effortless style that was all hers, too. It’s no surprise, then, that the girl that put the chic in boho chic continues to be a touchstone for designers today.

MacGraw is a favorite runway reference for designers that specialize in All-American sportswear. On screen, MacGraw was outfitted in camel coats, ’70s collegiate staples such as riding boots, repp scarves and wide-leg denim, giving designers plenty of material to pull from. She was wholesome, photogenic (she was a model first, after all), and it didn’t hurt that she eventually married Steve McQueen, a fashion icon in his own right. Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren have both touched on her classic, preppy look, but designer Anna Sui channeled MacGraw’s more free-spirited fashion sense for her latest project with Coach.

Coach New Legacy Anna Sui Dragonfly Duffle

Coach New Legacy Anna Sui Dragonfly Duffle

Coach New Legacy Anna Sui Fleur de Lis Large Duffle

Coach New Legacy Anna Sui Fleur de Lis Large Duffle

Turning away from the clean, New England style that MacGraw’s characters were known for in The Getaway and Love Story, Sui chose to focus her bag collab with Coach on what MacGraw might have worn in her off hours instead.

Sui announced the collaboration at Lucky FABB (where she was being interviewed by her dear friend Simon Doonan) and we could feel the room gasp collectively when she showed the image of the Dragonfly Duffle ($798). It made its debut on the runway just a few days later, where Sui’s models walked out in MacGraw-approved outfits such as varsity-inspired jackets, jodpur tights and the knit hats that she’d come to be known for on and off camera. The models also had the honor of being the first to wear the Coach collaboration, including the lust-worthy Fleur de Lis Large Duffle ($1,000). Both boast the bohemian vibe that MacGraw favored when she was jetting to Paris with McQueen or walking Madison Avenue with her signature effortless style. Sui’s Coach duffles will definitely swinging from the arms of this generation’s It girls, but with the bags’ timeless but retro feel, they wouldn’t look out of place on MacGraw’s arm either.

Photos courtesy Style.com, Coach and Oprah.com

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Author:Christopher Luu for Fashion Trends Daily

Christopher Luu is a Fashion Trends Daily Senior Writer and Menswear Editor.