Cole Haan Handbags
Select a Cole Haan Bag of your choice. These quality designer handbags are available for a limited time only.
History of Cole Haan
Cole Haan was founded in Chicago in 1928 by Trafton Cole and Eddie Haan. The company began as a men's footwear line with a reputation for quality, craftsmanship and style. Eventually, the company expanded to include women and children's products as well. In 1975, the company was sold to George Denney with the goal of transforming the brand into one of the leading footwear lines in the United States. In 1982, Cole Haan launched a retail division with 42 stores worldwide. Nike bought Cole Haan for $80 million in 1988. This was Nike's first attempt to expand beyond the athletic shoe niche. The move was a wise one for Nike and Cole Haan has remained under Nike's reign with an annual profile of nearly $70 million in 1996.
While other company's preferred to focus on licensing labels, Cole Haan has instead focused on expanding the brand to include pumps, flats and sandals as well as accessories such as handbags and briefcases. By the 1990s, Cole Haan went international with a line of driving shoes targeted to a European market, which went on to become a bestseller. During this same time, Haan introduced leather and suede versions of the Anaconda chukka boots, again made especially for European customers.
Regardless of the success of the European launch, Cole Haan's sales were lower during the late 1990s, which led to layoffs and the departure of Cole Haan's president. In 1998, Nike set to revitalize the line with more modern styles, targeting wealthy 30 to 50 year olds, while staying true to the reputation for high quality craftsmanship. This new business plan was referred to as "Modern Artisan." Soon, 60-80% of the line was made up of new styles and the company began to divide itself into unique lifestyle collections such as Country, City, Studio, Resort, Evening, Home and Begano. In 2000, The "Modern Artisan" line redesigned two prototypes released in Chicago and Boston. The company also wanted to make all of its smaller collections recognizable as part of the Cole Haan family. As a result, all store designs used the new gray, green, and red logo.
At the front of each of their stores, Cole Haan displayed the new Nike Air Technology, made famous by Michael Jordan, which uses a patented air cushioning in the sole with small windows on the bottom of the shoe. Though Cole Haan has embraced the modern technology of footwear, they continue to stress fine craftsmanship and quality. Each pair of shoes is made by a single craftsman who places the completed footwear into the Cole Haan box upon completion, where it is delivered to one of many Cole Haan stores or upscale department stores across the world.
PROMOTE THIS PAGE:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
