Coach celebrates 75th anniversary

New York - Coach has seen a fashionable and impressive 75 years, and they couldn't have selected a better time to celebrate their birthday than NYFW. Coach doesn't officially turn 75 until 2016, but as per the fashion calendar, they have to prepare the celebration a year in advance. For NYFW, Coach will be doing their first runway show, as well as debuting their new higher-end label, Coach 1941.

“The collection is really building on the work we’ve done for the past three New York Fashion Week presentations, in terms of the aesthetic and our point of view,” Stuart Vevers, Creative Director of Coach, said to WWD. “What we’ve been presenting within those collections has felt more pushed creatively and a more elevated offering from Coach and we’ve just never given it a distinct title. We felt that the time was right for that given the interest we’ve had.”

Coach prepares to launch higher-end label

Coach 1941 will be in Coach's flagship stores, and will have more exclusive distribution to help them cater to a certain caliber of clientele. The exciting thing for Coach is that they'll be able to compete with other European brands at the luxury price point. The higher end line will include an expanded leather goods offering.

Vevers' last three presentations have featured a runway style format, while this NYFW show will be Coach's first full scale traditional runway show. For those not lucky enough to attend NYFW, the show will be broadcast on coach.com. Viewers will be able to instantly purchase the new saddle bag that pays homage to Coach's heritage, the only item customers can purchase before the spring/summer 2016 collection hits stores.

The bag will be available in three sizes, priced from 395 dollars to 695 dollars, and is available in 14 colors. A limited number of these bags will be available at Coach's Soho and Rodeo Drive stores until September 20, and will be officially released with the rollout of Coach's spring/summer 2016 collection next year.

Vevers has really put the final feather in the cap for transforming Coach into a global lifestyle brand. The era of Coach as just the entry level leather goods item is over. They are really earning their place in the luxury sector.