Miles Cahn

Miles Cahn
Born	(1921-04-18) 18 April 1921 New York City, U.S.
Died	10 February 2017(2017-02-10) (aged 95) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, designer
Known for	Co-founder of Coach Leatherware Company

Miles Cahn (April 18, 1921 – February 10, 2017) was a prominent American entrepreneur and designer who, alongside his wife, Lillian Cahn, established the company originally known as the Coach Leatherware Company in 1961. The couple acquired a modest manufacturer of men's wallets located on West 34th Street in Manhattan and transformed it into what would become Coach. Under their guidance, the brand evolved into a luxury fashion house celebrated for handbags that seamlessly blended elegance with functionality.

Biography

Cahn was born in New York City to parents who had immigrated from Russia and were of Jewish heritage. He served in the United States Army during World War II before completing his business studies at City College of New York. In 1947, he wed Lillian Lenovitz.

The enterprise that later became Coach began its journey as Gail Leather Products in 1941, with initial financial support from investors including Cahn's father. Miles joined this company in 1946. In 1961, the Cahns executed a leveraged buyout to purchase the firm and rebranded it as Coach Leatherware Company. Lillian introduced women's handbags crafted from soft cowhide inspired by baseball gloves—a concept Miles initially opposed but ultimately embraced. The first handbag designed by Lillian took inspiration from paper shopping bags used in her childhood business. This original design remains a staple product for Coach.

The Cahns also brought on board designer Bonnie Cashin, who contributed to the creation of signature handbags and introduced vibrant hues along with Coach’s distinctive turn lock hardware.

By the 1980s, Coach's yearly revenue had grown to $20 million. In 1985, the Sara Lee Corporation purchased Coach for roughly $30 million, subsequently broadening its offerings to include fragrances and eyewear. Around the year 2000, Sara Lee spun off Coach as an independent entity valued at approximately one billion dollars. By 2016, Coach reported sales totaling $4.4 billion.

Following the sale of Coach, the Cahns established Coach Farm in Pine Plains, New York, where they specialized in producing both aged and fresh goat cheese. Their goat population expanded from an initial 200 to more than 1,500 animals. Miles chronicled their agricultural venture in his 2003 publication titled "The Perils and Pleasures of Domesticating Goat Cheese". The farm was sold in 2006 when Miles retired at age 85.

In his later years, Cahn concentrated on writing and self-published his autobiography "My Story" in 2008.

Miles Cahn passed away at age 95 in Manhattan on February 10, 2017. He is survived by three children and five grandchildren. His wife and business partner Lillian Cahn died in 2013 at the age of 89.