Is Coach the new Michael Kors?

My personal take on the Coach rebrand

I was 13 when Michael Kors was the brand. My older sister and mum had a collection of MK bags in every imaginable colour and print, and naturally, I wanted in. So when we took a family trip to Las Vegas, heading to the outlet and buying my first Michael Kors felt like my initiation into the world of designer fashion. A cream monogram crossbody with a matching wallet—I was obsessed. Owning an MK bag was not just about having an accessory; it was about status. In school, it was the It-girl bag, the one that sat beside classroom desks and locker room benches, quietly announcing who had taste—or at least, who knew what was trending. It was the kind of bag that made birthdays and Christmas lists, a symbol of stepping into something bigger than just school hallways. I remember girls at school whispering about fakes, as if carrying a knockoff somehow made you a knockoff, as if authenticity in accessories translated to authenticity in life.

Michael Kors was everywhere, and I was hooked. Every birthday, every celebration, every minor achievement became an excuse to get another. At one point, I even got the rose gold MK watch from Macy’s—the ultimate 2014 status symbol. But then, something shifted. The very thing that made MK desirable; the oversized logos, the structured totes, the flashy gold accessories, suddenly made it feel predictable. It was not evolving; it was repeating itself.

Fast forward to now, at 20, I am sitting across from a friend over coffee when we spot someone carrying a MK tote. Major throwback. We both laugh, reminiscing about our teenage fashion choices. And then I ask, almost instinctively, Is Coach the new Michael Kors?

At first glance, it is an easy comparison. Both brands fall into that accessible luxury category—designer, but not too designer. Both had their era of mass appeal before becoming too everywhere to be exclusive. But here is the key difference: while Michael Kors seems frozen in time, Coach has evolved.

Coach has executed one of the smartest rebrands in fashion. They have refined their designs, elevated their craftsmanship, and, most importantly, tapped into nostalgia without feeling stuck in the past. As a teenager, I never gravitated toward Coach; it felt like something an aunt would carry, classic but uninspired. But now? They have struck the perfect balance between timeless and relevant. The Tabby, the Pillow collection, the structured yet wearable silhouettes, they have made new vintage aspirational. And they are doing it with a level of restraint MK never quite mastered.

Meanwhile, Michael Kors still clings to what worked a decade ago. The oversized hardware, the glossy monograms, the instantly recognisable totes, it all feels like it belongs to an era that has long passed. Coach has been intentional about its evolution; MK, on the other hand, feels like it’s simply recycling old designs in slightly different colours. Fashion is about reinvention, about knowing when to shift in an ever-shifting culture.

That is not to say MK is struggling, walk into any outlet mall, and you will see its bags flying off the shelves. The brand still has an audience, but the allure is not what it once was. Coach, through clever marketing, improved craftsmanship, and a sharper understanding of what today’s shopper wants, has taken its place. It is not just selling handbags; it is selling an image that resonates with Gen Z. And right now, that image is working.

Still, I would not call Coach a replacement. While I can appreciate what they have done, I cannot say I’d personally cave for one. The only time I almost did was last summer—the Jonie bag with the cherry print. It was fun and playful, something teenage me would have obsessed over. But in the end, I went for a fuchsia pink Prada instead—because some obsessions never really fade.

So, is Coach the new Michael Kors? Maybe. But here’s the thing—MK will always be an icon, forever synonymous with the early 2010s and the rise of accessible luxury. Coach, on the other hand, has mastered something even harder: staying relevant without losing its essence. If Michael Kors wants its next moment, it does not need to reinvent the wheel; it just needs to remind us why we wanted one in the first place—without making it feel like we’ve seen it all before.