
Coach was founded in 1941, originally known as the Gail Manufacturing Company. Gail Manufacturing began as a family-owned business, with six leatherworkers who made small leather goods, such as wallets and handbags. In 1946, Miles Cahn and his wife Lillian who were also leatherworkers, joined the company. In 1957 the Coach brand of wallets and other small leather goods was introduced. In the 1960s, Cahn did further research on leather and discovered a very complex method for processing leather to make it strong, soft, and durable. At the suggestion of his wife, a number of women's handbags were designed to be more affordable. In the early 1960s, handbags were added to the Coach lineup. Coach women's handbags were made out of the new process, which catapulted Coach to prominent standing among high quality leather products. It was not until the early 1970's that the company formally adopted the name Coach.
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