1941–1985 Coach was founded in 1941, as a family-run workshop in a loft on
34th Street in
Manhattan, with six leather-workers who made wallets and billfolds by hand. By 1950, Cahn had taken over the company. During the early years, Cahn noticed the distinctive properties and qualities of the leather used to make baseball gloves. With wear and use, the leather in a glove became softer and suppler. Attempting to mimic this process, Cahn developed a process to make the leather stronger, softer, and more flexible. Since the leather absorbed dye very well, this process also created a richer, deeper color. Soon after Cahn developed this new process, Lillian Cahn suggested to Miles that the company supplement the factory's men's accessories business by adding women's leather handbags. Cashin "revolutionized the product's design," working as a creative head for Coach from 1962 through 1974.
1985: Sale to Sara Lee In 1985, the Cahns sold Coach Leatherware to
Sara Lee Corporation for a reported $30 million,
1996: Reed Krakoff leads design In 1996,
Lew Frankfort was named chairman and
CEO of Coach. The following year, under Frankfort's leadership, Coach hired
Reed Krakoff, whose creative and commercials instincts aimed to make Coach products functional, lightweight, and stylish. On June 1, 2000, the company changed its name to Coach, Inc.
2013–present In February 2013, Coach named Victor Luis president and
chief commercial officer and announced that he would become a chief executive officer in January 2014, with Lew Frankfort continuing as executive chairman. In 2013, Coach generated $5 billion in sales and operated approximately 1,000 directly operated locations globally, including North America, Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea, and Europe. In 2014, the company announced
Stuart Vevers as the new executive
creative director, replacing
Reed Krakoff. During 2014, Coach also announced that Lew Frankfort would retire as executive chairman at the expiration of his term in November 2014. In January 2015, Coach agreed to buy shoemaker
Stuart Weitzman for up to $574 million in cash. In the same year, Coach also launched Coach 1941, "a new, higher-priced line centered on ready-to-wear." Coach marked its 75th anniversary in 2016 with the announcement of its partnership with
Selena Gomez. In July 2017, Coach purchased
Kate Spade for $2.4 billion.
Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. had previously expressed interest in buying Kate Spade. On October 10, 2017, Victor Luis (CEO) announced that on October 31, Coach Inc would be renamed and rebranded as Tapestry Inc. The company's
ticker symbol on the
NYSE changed from COH to TPR effective October 31, 2017. As of 2019, Coach dropped the use of fur from its collection. In September 2019, Coach named Jide J. Zeitlin, Chairman of the Board, as new CEO of Tapestry, Inc., replacing former Chief Executive Officer Victor Luis. Zeitlin resigned his position in July 2020, following allegations of personal misconduct. In 2019 it was announced that a float depicting Coach's house mascot Rexy the Dinosaur would be featured in the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In November 2019,
Jennifer Lopez became the new global face of the company. As of 2019, Coach has 986 stores worldwide. In 2020, Coach again rebranded. Like many brands during the
COVID-19 pandemic, Coach began focusing on its digital platform. In 2021, Coach celebrated its 80th anniversary. Also in 2021, Coach launched their "(Re)Loved" initiative as a way to contribute to sustainability and reduced wasted in landfills. They upcraft and repurpose used bags and give them new life in order to appeal to a new owner and ensure one less bag ends up in a landfill. In 2023, Coach launched Coachtopia in a larger effort to adopt a
circular business model. Goods made under the Coachtopia brand utilize materials that are recycled, repurposed, and renewable. == Corporate affairs ==