In
1962, prolific fashion designer, Bonnie Cashin embarked on a revolutionary
venture. At the urgings of leather manufacturers, Cashin replaced
boring and imposing styles with creativity and innovation that was
unprecedented in the handbag industry. In lieu of the rigid brown
and black leather accessories that dominated the market, Cashin’s
creations were dyed to match her favorite colors: green, yellow, pink
and green–colors that were atypical for standard leather. She
imported exotic Belgian linens and Mexican cottons to complete the
interior of the bags to create what eventually became Coach handbags.
She also pioneered the use of hardware, so the brass toggle not only
became a Coach standard, but an industry standard.
Coach specializes in a large variety of handbags that share the distinction
of being a designer label and being easily accessible to the general
public, making it one of the most recognized and popular brands. The
company has every type of style imaginable, including totes, satchels,
hobo and clutches.
Hobo styles usually have a crescent-shaped bag and large holding
capacity to fit all the day’s necessities. The long strap allows
the owner to wear the bag comfortably over the shoulder for any casual
outing and the bohemian style make it a nice fit for eccentric hipsters
and celebrities alike. Coach’s leather zip hobo is part of the
signature Bleecker line, which captures the vintage look of the 70s
handbags while incorporating modern features. The leather zip hobo
is made from soft port leather and a tattersall fabric on the interior
to make it a simple yet sophisticated item. This is one example of
the many Coach handbags that utilize the hobo design.
Sometimes, however, carrying around a hobo bag is can be awkward
and unnecessary–you shouldn’t have to be lugging around
your own personal cache everywhere you go. Hobo bags are practical
most of the time but you don’t want to be lugging around that
ball and chain while on an intimate date or during a fancy night out
on the town. In those occasions, clutch bags are the best option.
These are big enough to hold the essentials and snap open and close
using a clutch at the top, hence the name. The Madison satin clutch
is one of the evening bags that Coach offers. Made from delicate black
satin with golden, top frame closure and an 38” golden chain,
the Madison is a symbol of delicate class that Coach handbags are
known for.
Tote bags are large bags with two handles instead of the single strap
of the hobo style. Totes have a square appearance and the wide opening
allows easy access as well as the capacity to hold all the day’s
essentials. Tote bags are also some of the most popular of the Coach
handbags with a whole line devoted to them. The Gallery Totes fuse
fashion and function to create some the company’s most practical
items. Among the many totes in this line, the Holiday Patchwork tote
stands out as one of the most unique-looking handbags on the market.
The bag is made of Nappa leather, suede, jacquard fabric, velvet,
crinkle patent leather, metallic cowhide, tattersall fabric to create
a collage that’s as visually-appealing as it is useful.