The Glossy 50 honors the year’s biggest changemakers across fashion and beauty. More from the series →
When Coach CEO Todd Kahn talks about the brand, he rarely starts with the product. For him, the brand is about emotion and identity. “We call it expressive luxury,” he said. “It’s about putting the consumer at the center.”
That focus has powered one of fashion’s strongest runs. In 2025, Coach remained the main driver of Tapestry’s growth, with its first quarter, from July 2025 to September 2025, marking its best in two decades. Sales rose 21% overall, with North America up 26% and Europe up 39%. The brand added 1.7 million new customers in the quarter, led by Gen-Z shoppers, who Kahn said are changing the way Coach thinks about design and storytelling.
Kahn, who joined the company in 2008, and Coach creative director Stuart Vevers, in 2013, made the decision years ago to build the brand around Gen Z’s values of courage, authenticity and individuality. “We use them as our muse,” Kahn said. “They’re the most universally connected generation. What’s relevant [to them] in Seoul is relevant in New York, and that gives us a common language.” Kahn called global awareness a key driver of Coach’s international success.
Coach’s campaigns this year reflected that approach. The “Courage to Be Real” campaigns defined Coach’s storytelling, beginning with “On Your Own Time” in February 2025 and evolving into “Revive Your Courage” in September 2025. Each chapter built on the idea of fashion as a form of emotional strength, rather than perfection. Fall’s “Revive Your Courage” featured actress Elle Fanning, Korean artist So Yeon and Japanese singer Lilas Ikuta, with the campaign’s long-form storytelling rolling out over six months. “We don’t just do a one-month push,” Kahn said. “To cut through the noise, you need consistency and meaning.”
Coach’s first Soho Sneaker campaign — “Not Just for Walking,” released in April — focused on its versatile Soho sneaker style as a means of self-expression. It starred New York musician Audrey Nuna. The campaign resonated globally and helped the brand’s footwear business grow by double digits, Kahn said.
Hero product families like the Tabby, Brooklyn and New York bags remain at the brand’s core, with new styles added regularly — they feature limited-edition colorways and come with collectible charms. A balance of emotion and practicality, which Kahn calls “functional luxury,” is working to attract younger customers and get them to buy into the brand at full price, he said.
Coach’s sales are now about 90% direct-to-consumer, and Kahn sees physical retail as essential. “Gen Z loves to shop in the real world,” he said. “The journey might start online, but the connection happens in person.”
Coach Coffee Shops, first introduced in Asia, expanded to the U.S. late last year. The locations offer specialty coffee, local menu items like chilli crab ice cream and small accessories like a Coach coffee pouch, designed to encourage interaction and social sharing. “You might come in for a latte and leave with a Tabby,” Kahn said.
Even amid macro challenges like tariffs, the brand’s performance has remained consistent. Coach’s diversified sourcing means it makes little in China, insulating it from some of the volatility other brands face. “We don’t raise prices just because of tariffs,” Kahn said. “We stay in the sweet spot between $200 and $500 because that’s where our customer sees value.”
And sustainability remains part of the brand’s long-term plan. That includes Coachtopia, Coach’s sustainable sub-brand that launched in 2023 as proof that circular fashion can scale. “It’s not a fad; it’s in our DNA,” Kahn said. Coachtopia’s Alter Ego bag, made from leftover leather from the Brooklyn and Tabby families, is now a top seller. “There’s no waste, just authenticity.”
Kahn has been with the company for 19 years, five of them as CEO. His leadership philosophy is simple: “You have to create an environment where creativity can thrive,” he said. “At the end of your time, did you leave the company better than you found it? Did you create successors who can carry it forward?”
What’s certain is that, under Kahn, the brand has found new relevance, a confident customer base and a message that continues to connect. “We’re just hitting our stride,” he said.
