Coach launches ‘Bag Man,’ a memoir by Lew Frankfort

“Bag Man: The Story Behind the Improbable Rise of Coach“, a new memoir by the brand’s Chairman Emeritus and former CEO, Lew Frankfort, officially launched on Tuesday.

Published by Harvard Business Review Press, the book offers an insider’s account of how Frankfort helped transform a modest family-run leather goods business into one of America’s most recognizable global fashion brands during his three-and-a-half decades at the helm.

When Frankfort joined Coach in 1979, the company was generating $6 million in annual revenue and “accessible luxury” was not yet a familiar concept. Over the next 35 years, Frankfort guided Coach through a remarkable evolution, growing the company into a $5 billion publicly traded powerhouse.

In Bag Man, Frankfort recounts the pivotal decisions, challenges, and philosophies that shaped both the brand and his leadership style. Central to his success was a guiding principle he calls “Magic Plus Logic”, which combines creativity with data-driven discipline.

“Lew motivates us. He is why I came to Coach,” said Todd Kahn, Coach’s current CEO, in the book’s epilogue. “Our legacy of excellence starts with Lew.”

To visually connect Frankfort’s story to Coach’s design legacy, the book’s cover and photo inserts were created in collaboration with Coach creative director Stuart Vevers.

The 272-page hardcover retails for $32 and is available wherever books are sold, as well as online at Coach and in select Coach stores, including Coach House and Hudson Yards.