These days, the fashion world is dominated by European designers. However, there is one glaring exception. That would be Coach, a wildly popular American design firm located in New York.

Being a transplanted New Yorker as well as a dedicated follower of fashion, I have watched with great interest the resurgence of this company over the past ten years. Coach, whose design creations include handbags, shoes/footwear and accessories, has become increasingly popular across all demographics.

Coach had its beginnings a half century ago in a small Manhattan loft. It was a family run workshop that employed six artisans to design a collection of high-quality leathergoods(such as handbags) using skills passed down from generation to generation. It wasn't long before discerning consumers discovered and began to seek out the high quality of workmanship found in every authentic Coach product, be it handbag, footwear or accessory.

As is usually the case, there is an interesting story behind the first creations of the company. The founder, Bonnie Cashin, was a baseball fan and got her first design inspiration from, of all things, a baseball glove. She was interested in the way the glove aged, becoming more supple with time, and was fascinated by the distinctive markings that were part of the leather.

Taking this idea, she refined it by making the leather softer and stronger and ended up with the first Coach handbag. Since that time, innovations in leather finishes, new grains and colors and modern materials all played a part in the development of the highly popular and widely acclaimed Coach product lines of handbags, footwear and accessory creations.

When a design is copied and sold as the real thing, it is a backhanded compliment to the creator and can, of course, cause big problems. These "knockoffs" have plagued Coach consistently over the last several years and consumers have become increasingly wary when purchasing Coach designs over the Internet.

However, these knockoffs are usually easy to spot. The legendary Coach quality is designed to have the item last a lifetime and the stitching is intricate and difficult to copy. Perhaps the best adage is, "Buyer Beware". If the consumer does due diligence, it is virtually certain that she will get an authentic Coach handbag, shoe or accessory.

Complimented by the increasingly successful footwear and accessory product lines, the authentic Coach handbag has become a "must-have" fashion item for many women while all the while maintaining the highest standards of quality with which the company began more than fifty years ago. Presently, Coach is recognized as a leading light on the landscape of American fashion design and "fashionistas" breathlessly await the newest model or product line from this unique American company.