Origins: Coach

Who started it?

Coach was founded in 1941 as a family-run leather workshop in Manhattan. Initially a wholesale business, it employed six artisans working on a small range of handcrafted leather goods such as billfolds and wallets. In 1946, Miles Cahn joined the firm and by 1950 he was running it for the owners.

In 1961, Cahn and wife Lillian bought the company. They recruited renowned American designer Bonnie Cashin to design the label's first retail collection. The Coach retail label was officially launched the following year. Quickly garnering a following for its non-seasonal and classic style, the label expanded its collection of women's leather handbags and accessories. By the early 1980s, the Cahns had set up a mail order business and opened boutiques in the US.

In 1985, the Cahns sold the company for US$30 million to the Sara Lee Corporation. By 1988, Coach begun to make its presence known abroad with boutiques in England and Japan. The following year, sales for the label reached US$100 million. In 1990, Coach sued several American manufacturers and labels, including Ann Taylor and Laura Leather Goods, for imitating its trademark styles - and won.

Throughout the 90s, Coach added new product lines, including outerwear and luggage in 1992, and watches in conjunction with the Movado Group in 1997. In 1999, the label launched its first e-commerce website plus footwear, eyewear and home furnishings. Two years later, the label launched its first line of jewellery with Carolee Designs.

By the end of 2001, the Sara Lee Corporation had divested all of its interest in Coach, which is now listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Last year, the label celebrated its 65th anniversary with creative director and president Reed Krakoff at the helm.