S8 Ep5 MEAGAN SVENDSEN : vintage Coach bag restorer and collector - on the history of Coach and Bonnie Cashin, the rarest bags in her collection, and leather restoration advice.

Feb 26, 2024

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Pre-Loved Podcast is a weekly vintage fashion interview show, with guests you’ll want to go thrifting with! For more Pre-Loved Podcast, subscribe to our Patreon!

On today’s show, we’re chatting with Meagan Svendsen, a Vintage Coach Bag Restorer & Collector. Meagan learned the love of vintage hunting and restoration from her mom who taught her every technique in the book. After losing her mom unexpectedly in 2021, and finding her first vintage Coach bag “in the wild” Meagan began collecting and restoring over 400 vintage Coach bags.

On this episode, we dive into the rich history of the Coach brand, including some background on Bonnie Cashin, the bags she designed, and the legacy that still holds today. Ultimately, Meagan loves vintage Coach because of the quality of the vintage leather, which is truly meant to last. As a restorer and collector, it’s her goal to breathe new life into vintage bags, and she shares some of her best tips and tricks.

This episode is a really fun deep dive, so let’s get right into it!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

[3:08] Meagan grew up antiquing, and restoring old things alongside her mother.
[8:01] The history of the Coach brand, starting as a family-owned leather goods brand in the early 1960s.
[9:53] The story of Bonnie Cashin, the original creative director for Coach in the 1960s, who brought the infamous turnlock to the brand.
[16:25] Meagan’s goal with restoration: bring the bag back to its best condition, with the least invasive technique.
[17:28] The story of some of the rarest Coach bags, like the United Airlines Coach stewardess bag, or the Coach Federal bag (rumored to be gifts from President Nixon, according to clippings from October 21, 1972 from The Indianapolis Star).
[24:38] Prior to 1994, there’s a process of elimination of clues to date and name your Coach bag. After that time, the Coach creed utilizes an alpha-numerical system.
[27:41] All about the different colors of Coach bags – some of the rare colors, and how color impacts your cleaning process.
[31:47] A deep dive into leather handbag restoration.
[42:43] Some of the most special stories of pieces in Meagan’s collection, like her 1966 ‘See Thru Shopping Bag’ and her Coach Crescent collection, in every known color!

EPISODE MENTIONS:

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