Michael Kors
An American luxury fashion brand known particularly for handbags, accessories, footwear, watches, and sportswear-influenced ready-to-wear.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Michael Kors is an American luxury fashion brand established by designer Michael Kors in New York in 1981. It developed from a designer womenswear label into a broad international fashion business spanning ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, watches, jewelry, eyewear, and other accessories. The brand is associated with a polished American aesthetic that combines relaxed sportswear, practical day-to-evening design, recognizable hardware, and a more accessible price architecture than the most exclusive European maisons. Michael Kors entered the market through Bergdorf Goodman, where fashion director Dawn Mello encouraged the young designer to present his collection to the store's buyers. The initial Michael Kors women's label launched at Bergdorf Goodman in 1981. A lower-priced KORS Michael Kors line followed in 1990 through a licensing arrangement, but the business encountered serious financial difficulty after the relevant licensing partner closed. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1993 and temporarily suspended the KORS line. Michael Kors subsequently designed for other labels, including the French house Celine, while rebuilding his own business. The lower-priced line was relaunched in 1997, and Kors later introduced menswear in 2002. A major expansion phase began after Michael Kors left Celine in 2003 to concentrate on his own company. Canadian fashion investor Lawrence Stroll and Hong Kong-based investor Silas Chou provided a majority investment reported at approximately $100 million, and John D. Idol became chief executive. The MICHAEL Michael Kors line, introduced in 2004, broadened the brand's reach through women's handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear. This multi-tiered model helped the company serve customers through designer collections, more accessible products, department-store distribution, outlet locations, and directly operated stores. The business completed an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011 under Michael Kors Holdings Limited. The public company later expanded beyond its namesake label. It acquired Jimmy Choo in 2017 and agreed to acquire Versace in 2018. After the Versace transaction closed in January 2019, the holding company changed its name to Capri Holdings Limited. Michael Kors remains one of Capri's principal brands, alongside Jimmy Choo; Capri's ownership of Versace ended when that brand was sold to Prada in 2025. The brand's commercial identity centers on handbags and accessories, with lines such as Mercer, Jet Set, Hamilton, and MICHAEL Michael Kors forming important parts of its product architecture. Its stores and wholesale network have operated across North America, Europe, Asia, and other international markets. The company has also addressed brand-protection issues, including enforcement actions against counterfeit Michael Kors goods in the Montreal area in 2015, and announced that it would stop using animal fur in its products beginning in 2017. Michael Kors is currently part of Capri Holdings. Its corporate environment has included pressure on accessible-luxury demand, retail traffic, pricing, inventory, and competition from brands such as Coach and Kate Spade. A proposed 2023 acquisition of Capri by Tapestry, owner of Coach and Kate Spade, was blocked by a U.S. federal judge in 2024 after Federal Trade Commission opposition, and the parties abandoned the transaction later that year. The brand itself remains active, although the available reference material does not provide a standalone current revenue figure or a definitive current store count for Michael Kors alone.
History
Michael Kors began as the eponymous womenswear label of American designer Michael Kors. After studying briefly at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kors worked at the Manhattan boutique Lothar's, where he became involved in both design and visual presentation. His work attracted the attention of Dawn Mello, then fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman. Mello invited him to present his collection to the department store's buyers, helping provide the commercial platform for his first label. The Michael Kors women's collection launched at Bergdorf Goodman in 1981. The brand initially operated as a designer fashion label, but its business model later broadened through licensing and multiple price levels. In 1990, a KORS Michael Kors line was introduced through a licensee. The arrangement ended in severe financial disruption when the licensing partner closed, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1993. The KORS line was placed on hold while Michael Kors worked for other labels and rebuilt his independent business. Kors returned to the brand in the late 1990s. A lower-priced line was relaunched in 1997, the same year he became the first women's ready-to-wear designer for French fashion house Celine. The Celine role increased his international profile, but he left the house in October 2003 to focus on his own company. The rebuilding effort was supported by a majority investment reported at about $100 million from Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou. John D. Idol was appointed chief executive, and the company adopted a more scalable structure around directly operated retail, wholesale distribution, licensing, and differentiated product tiers. Menswear was introduced in 2002, and the MICHAEL Michael Kors line launched in 2004 with women's handbags, footwear, and ready-to-wear. Accessories, especially handbags, became central to the brand's growth and public identity. The product range expanded to include shoes, watches, jewelry, eyewear, and other accessories, while the design language retained an American sportswear foundation with polished styling and visible brand codes. Michael Kors Holdings Limited went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011. The offering marked a major transition from designer-led private company to international public fashion group. By 2014, the company reported group revenue of $3.2 billion and net income of $670 million, although these figures relate to the corporate company rather than the Michael Kors brand alone. By April 2017, the company reported 827 full-price or outlet stores and 133 licensed stores across its operations, again without separating the brand from the wider corporate structure. The corporate group expanded through acquisitions. It bought Jimmy Choo in 2017 for £897 million and announced an agreement to acquire Versace in 2018, valuing the Italian fashion group at $2.1 billion. The Versace transaction closed in January 2019, after which Michael Kors Holdings Limited changed its name to Capri Holdings Limited. Michael Kors remained the group's namesake brand while Capri operated a portfolio of fashion houses. The brand has also faced the operational issues common to global accessible-luxury retailers, including counterfeit activity, changing consumer demand, retail-network management, and competition in handbags and accessories. In 2015, it pursued actions against a major network of alleged counterfeit suppliers and vendors in the Montreal area. In 2017, the company said it would stop using animal fur in its products. Capri's proposed sale to Tapestry created a later corporate turning point. Tapestry agreed in 2023 to acquire Capri for $8.5 billion, but the Federal Trade Commission sued to stop the deal in 2024. A federal judge blocked the merger on October 24, 2024, citing competition concerns; the parties subsequently called off the transaction. In April 2025, Capri completed the sale of Versace to Prada for 1.25 billion euros. Michael Kors therefore continued as a Capri brand, while the holding company returned to a narrower portfolio. The available sources do not establish a separate current financial statement, exact current store count, or a named current creative director for the Michael Kors brand.
- 2025
Versace sold to Prada
[1]Capri Holdings completes the sale of Versace to Prada for 1.25 billion euros.
- 2024
Proposed Tapestry transaction blocked
[1]A federal judge blocks Tapestry's acquisition of Capri after Federal Trade Commission opposition; the transaction is later abandoned.
- 2023
Tapestry announces proposed Capri acquisition
[1]Tapestry agrees to acquire Capri Holdings for $8.5 billion.
- 2019
Holding company renamed Capri Holdings
[1]After the Versace acquisition closes, Michael Kors Holdings Limited changes its name to Capri Holdings Limited.
- 2018
Versace acquisition announced
[1]The company announces an agreement to acquire Versace in a transaction valuing the Italian fashion group at $2.1 billion.
- 2017
Jimmy Choo acquisition
[1]Michael Kors Holdings Limited acquires Jimmy Choo and states that Michael Kors products will no longer use animal fur.
- 2015
Montreal counterfeit enforcement actions
[1]The brand pursues actions against alleged counterfeit suppliers and vendors in the Montreal area.
- 2011
Initial public offering
[1]Michael Kors Holdings Limited lists on the New York Stock Exchange.
- 2004
MICHAEL Michael Kors launches
[1]The MICHAEL Michael Kors line launches with women's handbags, footwear, and ready-to-wear.
- 2003
Business recapitalized and management expanded
[1]Michael Kors leaves Celine to focus on his own brand; Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou provide a major investment, and John D. Idol becomes chief executive.
Products and positioning
Accessible luxury with a polished American sportswear sensibility, combining designer branding and fashion-led accessories with broader distribution and a more approachable price structure than ultra-luxury maisons.
Designer ready-to-wear and accessories · 1981
Michael Kors Collection
The original designer-oriented expression of the brand, rooted in American sportswear and polished day-to-evening dressing. It includes ready-to-wear and accessories and represents the higher end of the Michael Kors product architecture.
Accessible luxury fashion · 2004
MICHAEL Michael Kors
Introduced in 2004, this line broadened the brand's reach through women's handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear. It became an important vehicle for department-store, outlet, and international distribution.
Handbags
Mercer
A structured handbag family associated with a refined, practical silhouette and the brand's American accessible-luxury positioning. Mercer bags are designed for everyday and professional use across multiple sizes and formats.
Handbags and small leather goods
Jet Set
A recognizable travel- and everyday-oriented range built around functional tote, shoulder, crossbody, and small-leather-goods formats. The line emphasizes versatility and repeated Michael Kors branding.
Handbags
Hamilton
A signature handbag family known for structured construction and hardware details. Hamilton products have served as prominent examples of the brand's polished, logo-conscious accessories business.
Watches
Michael Kors Watches
The brand's watch offering extends its accessories strategy beyond leather goods, combining fashion branding with jewelry-like and sport-influenced watch designs.
Controversies
2021
New Balance sues Michael Kors over shoe designs
New Balance filed a lawsuit against Michael Kors in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging that designs on Michael Kors Olympia and Pippin shoes are virtually identical and confusingly similar to New Balance marks. The complaint seeks to stop use of the design, recall existing shoes, and obtain damages and profits.
Brand decisions
2025
Capri sells Versace to PradaM&ABackground
Capri Holdings narrowed its portfolio after the failed Tapestry transaction and ongoing portfolio restructuring.
Action taken
Capri finalized the sale of Versace to Prada for 1.25 billion euros.
Aftermath
Michael Kors remained a principal brand within Capri Holdings.
Versace sale value. 1.25 billion euros (2025)
2023
Proposed acquisition by TapestryM&ABackground
Tapestry sought to consolidate several accessible-luxury fashion brands and announced an agreement to buy Capri Holdings.
Action taken
Tapestry agreed to acquire Capri for $8.5 billion, subject to regulatory approval.
Aftermath
The FTC challenged the deal, a federal judge blocked it in 2024, and the parties abandoned the transaction later that year.
Proposed acquisition value. $8.5 billion proposed transaction value (2023)
2017
Adoption of a no-animal-fur policyStrategyBackground
The company reviewed the materials used in its products amid changing expectations around animal welfare and fashion sourcing.
Action taken
Michael Kors announced that it would no longer use animal fur in its products.
Aftermath
The policy became part of the brand's materials and sustainability positioning.
2004
Launch of MICHAEL Michael KorsProduct launchBackground
The company sought to extend the brand beyond its original designer collection and reach a broader customer base.
Action taken
It introduced MICHAEL Michael Kors with women's handbags, footwear, and ready-to-wear.
Aftermath
The line became a central part of the brand's accessible-luxury and multi-channel growth model.
1993
Chapter 11 restructuringOtherBackground
The closure of the licensing partner for the KORS Michael Kors line created a major financial and operational setback.
Action taken
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection and suspended the KORS line while the designer worked for other labels and rebuilt the business.
Aftermath
The brand later relaunched a lower-priced line in 1997 and entered a new expansion phase in the 2000s.
Recent events
New Balance sues Michael Kors over shoe designs[3]
New Balance filed a lawsuit against Michael Kors in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging that designs on Michael Kors Olympia and Pippin shoes are virtually identical and confusingly similar to New Balance marks. The complaint seeks to stop use of the design, recall existing shoes, and obtain damages and profits.
Fossil announces new smartwatches and hybrid watches[4]
Reported:
Fossil announced new watches at CES 2021, including its first LTE-enabled Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch, new Michael Kors Access connected-watch styles, and the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR. The Fossil Gen 5 LTE was planned to become available in the US in spring; the Skagen model was planned to be sold through Fossil’s website.
Related sues Columbus Circle retail tenants over unpaid rent[5]
Reported:
Related Companies sued six retail tenants at the Shops at Columbus Circle seeking a total of $7.5 million in unpaid rent and other charges. The suits named Hugo Boss, Running Specialty Group, Cole Haan, Michael Kors, Tumi Stores and Fairway LLC.
Michael Kors appoints Gao Yuanyuan global ambassador[6]
Reported:
Michael Kors announced Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan as its latest global ambassador.
Michael Kors moves into expanded Leesburg storefront[7]
Reported:
Michael Kors expanded its local presence on February 13 by moving into a 4,700-square-foot storefront at Leesburg Premium Outlets in Virginia.
Michael Kors launches Studio 54-inspired capsule collection[8]
Reported:
Michael Kors launched a Studio 54-inspired MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION capsule series at a New York party co-hosted with Interview magazine.
Sources9 sources
- 1Capri Holdingsen.wikipedia.org
- 2Michael Kors official websitemichaelkors.com
- 3New Balance sues Michael Kors over shoe designssgbonline.com
- 4Fossil宣布推出新款智能手表和混合式手表engadget.com
- 5Related就欠租起诉哥伦布圆环商场租户therealdeal.com
- 6Michael Kors宣布高圆圆成为全球代言人fashion.sina.com.cn
- 7Michael Kors迁入Leesburg扩建店铺northernvirginiamag.com
- 8Michael Kors发布Studio 54灵感胶囊系列fashion.sina.com.cn
- 9Fossil Group just announced a couple of stylish Wear OS & Hybrid smartwatches - Phandroidphandroid.com
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