The History of Coach – The Company Then and Now

The Coach company was a family-owned business started in the 1940s in New York City, with American designer Bonnie Cashin. Originally, the company was run by six artists who hand made all the leather goods. In 1960, Miles and Lillian Cahn, owners of a wholesale handbag manufacturing business, asked Cashin to become designer of a proposed retail collection. Inspired by an old baseball glove, Cashin experimented with the leather, making it softer and stronger.  The first Coach handbag came from this experimentation.  The ensuing line of Coach bags was a classic and simple line of only 12 designs. Slowly, Cashin dramatically changed handbags with a variety of sculpture-like designs and sizes, made in bright colors, lined with linens designed by textile designer Dorothy Liebes. Cashin designed various accessories for the handbags, particularly the silver toggle that became the Coach hallmark, inspired by the top on her sports car. Since then, the handbags have taken on new leather finishes, varied colors and grains, as well as additions such as metallic clasps and inner pockets.  Today, there are hundreds of styles of Coach handbags, yet the deep tan color of the old baseball glove remains a classic.
 
Since their inception, Coach bags have been viewed as a status symbol, due to the intricacies of their creation, the quality of the materials used, and the hand-made aspect of their design.  Coach has continually kept up its high-end luxury, workmanship, and quality of leather.  The size, pockets, and straps of each bag are carefully checked before being sent to retailers.  Only the top ten percent of leather is chosen, after which Coach tans their leather in a special process, in which they rotate the leather for several days, softening the leather.  The leather is then treated with a specially prepared plant extract to keep the leather supple and strong.  Because of their special process of tanning, each Coach bag is unique; no two leathers are exactly alike. 

They are most known for the scribble and patchwork designs, though today Coach makes dozens of products, including wallets, planners, cell phone cases, shoes, organizers, briefcases and travel collections. Coach comes out with a new line each year, aimed at creating classic yet innovative styles for today’s sophisticated consumer.