People worth knowing · New York
Lew Frankfort
Coach chairman emeritus · Author
The longtime Coach leader offers a way into a bigger question: how does a brand grow without losing what people recognize?
The Coach years
Lew Frankfort joined Coach in 1979 and spent 35 years with the company. The longtime chairman and CEO is now its chairman emeritus. His official biography describes a business that grew from a small leather-goods company into a global accessories and lifestyle brand during his tenure.
That makes him an interesting person to know beyond fashion. For a founder, the useful question is what changes as a business reaches more people: the product, the way it is sold, the people making decisions, or all three? A familiar name can make that process look inevitable. It rarely is.
A brand, over time
Frankfort’s book, Bag Man, revisits the company’s development and his leadership journey. It is an entry point for readers interested in the decisions behind a recognizable brand. After Coach, he cofounded Benvolio Group, which focuses on early-stage consumer businesses and advising their leaders.
Our interest is in the distance between a good product and a lasting business. Growth creates more places for a brand to become inconsistent: a store, a new category, a customer interaction. Looking at a long operating career gives that conversation more substance than another list of branding tips.
Why he’s in The Know
The Know follows the people behind brands, from independent businesses in Las Vegas to established names in New York. Frankfort brings the long view to that mix. Read his own account for the career story; explore Mickey Ashmore’s Sabah profile for a different scale of business, where the product and the experience of buying it grew together.
Sources & further reading
An editorial profile based on the public sources below, with commentary from The Know.