They say a girl never forgets her first fashion week show. This was certainly the case for R&B singer, songwriter, and actress Coco Jones, who attended her first show in New York for Coach’s spring/summer 2022 collection. Naturally, when it came time to collaborate on a look for the Oscars, Coach was the obvious choice. “I just really feel like it's a brand that represents me in a lot of ways,” Coco shares. “I feel like they have so many pieces that match my lifestyle.”
To close out the award season, Jones attended the 2025 Academy Awards in what she calls “Coco and Coach’s version” of the classic little black dress. "We really leaned into Coach’s vision for this custom gown, embracing the elegance of a vintage silhouette with a structured corset and exquisite fabrics from the 1930s,” Jones’ longtime stylist Maeve Reilly told Bazaar. “It was incredible to incorporate these historical materials in a way that felt both timeless and fresh, aligning with the sustainability efforts Coach has been championing.”
Jones’ personal favorite part of the look? The upcycling of vintage pieces, which reminded her of her own music-making process: sampling songs and infusing them with a nostalgic twist. The multihyphenate artist—who got her start on the Disney channel as a kid—recently released a heartfelt new single, “Taste,” featuring a pitched-down sample of Britney Spears’s “Toxic.” She also announced her debut album Why Not More, along with an upcoming tour to match.
2025 is undoubtedly shaping up to be Jones' year. In a pre-Academy Awards conversation with Bazaar, Jones lets us in on the inspiration behind her latest single, her favorite Oscar-nominated films, and what’s next for her career.
You’ve been a big supporter of Coach for many years now. Can you tell me how the relationship started?
I'm still, I guess, a new artist in a sense. I haven't put out my album yet, and a lot of things are firsts. Coach was actually one of my first shows that I went to at my first New York Fashion Week two or three years ago, and I was super excited. I loved all of the diversity when it comes to the pieces, when it comes to the people. They also do a lot of, like, really intentional things when it comes to their fashion and how they create and how they go about running their business. And I love Stuart too.
What do you look for when it comes to a red carpet look?
I think for me, I'm kind of learning that fashion tells a story. So depending on the era of my life I gravitate towards different things. Right now, with my debut album, it's a combination of so many different songs. I mean, I started recording everything three years ago, and I have songs that I just put on there three months ago. And so it's this combination of old and new, but it's staying true to me. So I'm looking for things that kind of have that same feel and that same intention. The Oscars dress that I'm doing with Coach is very similar to my album, where there are these vintage elements combined with these new elements. Also it's kind of crazy—I didn't even tell them this—but I've been wearing a lot of sheer in my rollout, and the dress has these elements of sheer as well. So I kind of look for pieces that tell the same story that I'm trying to tell in whatever chapter I'm in in life.
What’s your biggest inspiration, both style wise and in your career, and how has that influenced your work and approach to success?
I will not lie. I do get a lot of my influence from the ‘90s and the early 2000s. I think I would probably say that Destiny's Child has influenced my style the most. I love super feminine skin-tight crop tops, body showing.
You recently released your single “Taste,” which includes a sample of Brittany Spears’ 2003 track “Toxic” with an R&B spin. What about that song and/or Britney Spears inspired this single?
I have been doing a lot of experimenting with this album. I feel like one of my goals is to continue to push the boundaries of what R&B can be. People, I think, are also still learning about me. I'm still learning about me. But when you put out your first album, it's kind of like, hey, this is who I am. Some people will be hearing me for the first time and so I wanted to continue to show different sides of me. One of the sides of me that I feel like hasn't been fully represented yet is I did a lot of music in the pop world. I mean, I was signed when I was 14. I was doing Disney Channel. And I was obsessed with Britney and Hannah Montana and all of the girls that were in that pop world. I've done a lot of, like, super R&B, very traditional, but I kind of wanted to cross that pop and R&B world in a couple of my songs on this album. And with that intention in mind, we had this pitch[ed] down “Toxic” sample of Britney, and it just kind of morphed into “Taste”, which became the single.
You just announced your debut album and tour that are coming this Spring. What are you most excited for fans to take away from this new era?
I want to be the type of artist where there's a song for every mood. There's a song for the girls who just are chill. There's a song for the girls who are ragey and have mad energy, aggressive, the toxic girls, the girls who are flirty, cutesy, and the girls who are still figuring themselves out. We all have so many sides to us that I kind of want them to be like Ben & Jerry—pick your favorite flavor.
What are some films (past or present) that have informed who you are today?
My first thought was Dream Girls. I'm also gonna say Princess Tiana, not for nothing. I do love cute animation, and I also love beignets, but not frogs, though. I would also say Clueless is one of the ones that I love. I just love that girly girl stuff and Mean Girls.
What are some of the films that are nominated that you’ve enjoyed this year?
Substance I think is super dope, and I love a lot of that cast. Honestly, it's hard to choose, because when you go to the Oscars it’s such high quality stuff. So I feel like it's hard to choose, but Substance or Wicked.
What are you most looking forward to tonight (The Oscar’s)?
Hopefully getting to meet Ariana. Love her. I did get to meet Cynthia Erivo yesterday and she was so sweet. She actually followed me on Instagram, and then I followed her back, and she had tagged me two years ago, so super crazy. You never know who's watching and listening to your music.
We know you have a lot in store in terms of your music, but can you tell us what’s next for you in terms of your acting career?
I have a film that I executive-produced last year and I was also in. It's kind of like a black rom com that gives you those throwback vibes, and hopefully it's one of those classic staples that, you know, people fall in love with. I'm actually going to South Africa in a couple weeks to film this scary movie, but I'm not doing the scary parts. I hope to continue to build my film and TV side as much as I put that same energy into music.
