Books are officially in (high) fashion. The luxury lifestyle brand Coach last week unveiled a collection of book-themed bag charms for $95 each, leaning into the growing buzz around reading — an activity that’s become a status symbol.
The 12 miniature books, which include popular classics like Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” and Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” are both decorative and readable, according to the fashion brand.
“New hyperfixation: reading out of our book charms,” the brand posted on social media Wednesday.
Coach said its spring 2026 “Explore Your Story” campaign was “inspired by a renewed cultural embrace of long-form storytelling,” largely fueled by Gen Z.
“In a world shaped by fragmentation, digital overload, and constant acceleration, many described books and long-form storytelling as a refuge — a way to slow down, reflect, and feel a sense of belonging,” Joon Silverstein, the company’s chief marketing officer, said of Gen Z in a statement.
It’s a campaign that comes as reading has enjoyed a major cultural resurgence in recent years. Book clubs have skyrocketed in popularity as one of the hottest social scenes for Gen Z and millennials, and the act of carrying a book in public has become so commonplace that it’s become fodder for jokes about “performative” reading.
Book-related discussions also thrive online in spaces like BookTok, Bookstagram and BookThreads, which have grown into massive communities on their respective social media platforms. And a slew of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Natalie Portman, have found success starting their own online book clubs.
Coach teased the launch of its book charms in a series of social media posts starring actors Elle Fanning and Storm Reid, WNBA player Paige Bueckers and musicians SOYEON, Lilas and Shan Yichun.
The company said it partnered with Penguin Random House in the United States and independent publishers across China, Japan and Korea in efforts to connect with the books’ authors. Its book charm collection features titles from Japanese writers Natsu Miyashita and Riku Onda, Korean writers Sung Haena and Hwang Bo-Reum, and Chinese author Yan Xiaoyu.
“We intentionally brought together partners from different parts of culture — fashion, literature, sport, and digital culture — because Gen Z doesn’t experience identity in one lane,” Silverstein said. “Our role isn’t to speak for communities, but to create shared spaces where many voices can come together around a belief in the power of storytelling and the courage it takes to be real.”
The charms, some of which quickly sold out while others are not yet available for purchase, stirred a flurry of excitement online. But Coach isn’t the only luxury fashion brand that has leaned into literature as the new “it” accessory.
Last month, Dior introduced its own Book Cover Collection featuring tote bags embroidered with renditions of first-edition book covers for famous 19th- and 20th-century literary works, including a “Dracula” tote that retails at $3,550 and a smaller “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” tote that sells for $2,600.
In 2024, Miu Miu launched a Summer Reads activation in cities around the world, where the Italian brand gifted visitors copies of two out of three classics: “A Woman” by Sibilla Aleramo, “Persuasion” by Jane Austen and “Forbidden Notebook” by Alba de Céspedes. The initiative came shortly after Miu Miu hosted its own literary club spotlighting works by Aleramo and de Céspedes.
And in 2024, Saint Laurent opened a bookstore in Paris that the company touted as offering everything from rare books to Saint Laurent-branded editions to “subversive publications and out-of-print musical recordings or original productions.”
