Obsessed with the power of fragrance? Us too. That’s why we launched Scents of Self, a digital column dedicated to exploring the unique relationship between perfume, people, and personal style.
There’s something magical about a fragrance that feels like it sees you. That wraps itself around your vibe, mirrors your mood, and then turns the volume way up. Enter Coach Gold, the latest addition to the Coach Women signature line, and your new scent BFF (especially if you’re a gourmand perfume lover). Drenched in a stunning golden lacquer and infused with notes that flirt between bold and delicate. Think creamy almond blossom, radiant vanilla, and a cheeky pop of pink peppercorn. This fragrance doesn’t whisper. It glows!
And who better to embody this luminous new chapter than Storm Reid? The actor, producer, and red carpet slayer is the face—and the heart—of the Coach Gold campaign, and let’s just say that she understood the assignment. Shot by the iconic Cass Bird and styled to perfection, Storm doesn’t just wear the fragrance; she owns it, radiating all the confidence and authenticity the scent was built to celebrate.
“It’s been a pleasure to create a fragrance that embodies the spirit of individuality and confidence of today’s generation,” said Coach creative director Stuart Vevers in the official press release.
Crafted by master perfumer Louise Turner, Coach Gold is inspired by the golden glow of New York City on a sun-drenched day, and it shows. In every note, every swirl, every gorgeous gleam of that luxe bottle. It’s a fragrance that says, “I’m here, I’m golden, get into it.”
Cosmo caught up with Storm to talk all things post-college life and Coach Gold, from working with one of her favorite brands to how the scent helps her tap into her most powerful, radiant self. Spoiler alert: It involves a little self-love, a lot of intention, and, of course, smelling really good.
So go ahead, take a deep breath, and prepare to get inspired. This is your sign to step into your light...and maybe snag yourself a bottle of Coach Gold while you’re at it.
Congrats on just graduating from college at USC! How are you feeling?
I tell people it’s the best decision I could have ever made for myself. And I feel like it just made me a more well-rounded human being. You know, life informs art and art informs life. So I think it was a good thing to do. I was able to be in the position to work and to go to school and figure out the challenges. I was finding joy in that as well. I’m a lucky girl.
So you’re fully back to work?
Yeah! I’m going on my grad trip to Greece and Ibiza. And then when I get back, I’m going straight onto somebody’s set. But I’m excited to get back to work. I’m reenergized. I am excited to tell stories again.
Let’s talk about how you tell the story about this new Coach perfume. What’s it like being the face of this launch?
It’s an incredible opportunity and blessing, and I was so excited when they chose little old me. Coach has always been in my life, and I try to move from a space of authenticity. My sisters used to—and still do—wear Coach bags. I had Coach sneakers growing up. So it made sense. I think one of my favorite compliments is when someone says, “You smell good.” I’m a fragrance girlie. I love to smell good. I love to try new scents. So when they approached me with Coach Gold, I was so excited! The mission and the ethos of Coach Gold is to be authentic, to have courage, to be real in the world that is crazy, scary, and wonky.
Yeah! I love the tagline for this fragrance. What does it mean to you to “let your inner shine become your outer glow”?
I live a crazy, hectic life that can pull me in so many different directions. But having people who really, like, pour into you and motivate you helps bring out my inner glow. And then, a really, really long time ago, I had to get rid of the idea of perfection. I think that’s really the ethos of Coach. Just being yourself. It’s going to be messy sometimes. It’s not going to feel the greatest. But you can still take up space. Own space.
Stuart Vevers talked about how your authenticity inspired this campaign. How do you stay grounded and true to yourself?
That’s always been something I’ve wanted to do with my personal brand. People have a perception of my job and how glamorous it is, so sometimes they don’t see the chaos behind the glory. I wanted my social media to be a reflection of me. People know me as Gia. They know me as Riley. All these different characters that they really love, which I really appreciate because thankfully that means I’ve done my job well, but I want you to know Storm.
What was it like shooting the campaign? Was it super collaborative?
The Coach team is just always so inviting and so collaborative. I had a few conversations with Mr. Vevers, who I love and who I think is just a genius. Coach showed me their vision, and I was down to do whatever they wanted to do. I think that authenticity you’re talking about translated on set when I got there. They had shut down a big block of New York—and I’m, like, I’ve never seen this before. There was just a lot of synergy going on.
Shutting down a NYC block is iconic! Do you think the visuals match how the actual scent smells?
We knew what we wanted to capture, but sadly, you can’t get the scent through the television—even though somebody needs to invent that. We had to make the visuals feel as inviting as possible. And I think, you know, just the richness of the gold, the richness of the sun, the background, and the clothes I’m wearing all work together in a beautiful way. I’ve watched the campaign video a few times, and I’m, like, not to be biased or anything, but if I were watching this on a television, I would go buy that!
Agreed! Were there any funny stories or favorite moments that happened during the campaign shoot?
Yeah, I mean, Cass is a hoot, so we were just cracking jokes and having the best time on set. But I’m used to shooting in New York when it’s cold. I wasn’t prepared for it being hot. The weather is beautiful, but I had on a leather dress, leather boots, and a leather jacket. So I just remember in between takes taking everything off and fanning myself. I was trying not to sweat, trying not to sweat my leave-out. It was a whole operation, but it was so fun!
Nice. You said you are a perfume girlie. Have you always been into scent?
My mom is a big perfume girlie. I always would see her putting different perfumes on. I think my first bottle of perfume was the iconic pink and gold Juicy Couture perfume. And then I also had—I don’t remember the name, but the perfumes that looked like anime dolls?
Wow! I think you’re talking about the Harajuku Lover perfumes by Gwen Stefani. But I love these throwback shout-outs.
As I’ve grown, I’ve figured out that I’m a clean, vanilla, woodsy type of girl. And I think through fragrance, you can express how you’re feeling and how you want to take up space that day. I don’t leave the house without perfume.
So, you literally always have it on?
Yep! It’s so funny because one of my childhood best friends FaceTimed me a few months ago and she was like, “Girl, where are you going?” I was like, “To the gym.” And then I spray on some perfume. Then she says, “Girl, you just said you were going to the gym.” I said, “I know, but I have to smell good in the gym.” Like, give me a break!
Ha! I love that. I’m the same way. Now that we’re talking about how fragrances make you feel, how do you hope Coach Gold makes people feel?
I just hope it enhances your personality, if that makes sense. I hope it brings you joy. I hope it helps you take up space. I know I’ve been saying that a lot, but that’s what I look for in a fragrance. Well, it smells delightful. The packaging is beautiful, and it just makes you feel like that girl.
Are there things that you love to do in New York when you’re here?
Well, I always stay at The Mark hotel. And every morning, I go to Ralph’s Coffee. I get coffee and then I’ll do a little stroll through Central Park. It’s not a New York trip if I don’t go to Ralph’s and walk around.
Classy itinerary. So I would be remiss not to mention how damn sexy this scent is! Is it something you’re spritzing on for a hot date?
Absolutely, yes. I’m gonna put my Coach on, ’cause I’m gonna catch your attention! You’re gonna ask about it, you’re gonna like it, and you’re gonna want to smell a little bit more. Get a little closer. I can be a little sassy in it too.
Before we wrap up, are there any projects you’re working on that we should look out for?
Yes, actually, I’m doing a movie. As soon as I get back from my grad trip. But I don’t know how much I can say about that. And when it comes to my production company, we just sold a movie to Paramount called Get Light. It’s going to be Teyana Taylor’s directorial debut. We are in the finishing stages of that being greenlit, so we can then go into production at the end of the year or top of 2026.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you’re as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.
