1941
A workshop of six artisans
The business began with small leather goods. Lillian and Miles Cahn later helped shape its development into a handbag house; they were not the original 1941 founders.
The House & Its Designers
Coach
New York · 1941
American leather goods built around everyday use.
Coach began as a small Manhattan leather workshop. Its strongest designs combine useful construction with tactile leather: turnlocks, generous openings and straps that work with a moving wearer.
11 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1962–1974
Bonnie Cashin’s contribution
Cashin brought a sportswear designer’s understanding of movement and utility. Her bags helped establish the brass turnlock and a relaxed approach to carrying.
1990s–2010s
A wider audience
Reed Krakoff expanded Coach’s fashion profile. Stuart Vevers, appointed in 2013, subsequently connected its leather heritage to a broader American wardrobe.
The bags
Archive ideas, new proportions
The Rogue and Tabby show two sides of that approach: considered construction and a willingness to revisit familiar forms in new sizes, colours and textures.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
1962–1974
Bonnie Cashin
Made practical hardware and ease of use central to Coach’s bags.
1996–2013
Reed Krakoff
Expanded the house’s design language and accessories business.
Appointed 2013
Stuart Vevers
Connects the archive to American cultural references and contemporary wardrobes.
On the runway
Selected looks and details, matched to the house and season.
Coach · Spring 2024 Ready To Wear
Coach · Fall 2024 Ready To Wear
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Tabby
An archival-inspired flap bag with a prominent C closure.
02
Pillow Tabby
Padded leather gives the Tabby a rounded, cushioned profile.
03
Dempsey
A practical tote family offered in leather, canvas and signature fabrics.
04
Cassie
A structured flap crossbody with a turn-lock closure.
05
Swinger
A compact zip-top shoulder bag with an archival feel.
More designs to know
- Brooklyn Tote
- A softly structured shoulder bag with a broad strap and relaxed drape.
- Willow
- A versatile day-bag family with organised interiors and minimal hardware.
- Rogue
- A substantial top-handle bag with multiple carrying options and compartments.
- Saddle Bag
- A curved flap bag that draws on Coach’s equestrian-inspired leather archive.