I've tried a search on this topic but not much came up. I walked into a Coach store and saw a really nice purse. But it totally looked kind of familiar ... I went home and sure enough it reminded me of the Celine purses I'm seeing so many people sport. However, I'm not sure I'm liking the "robot" face look on the Celine purse.

I'm considering the Coach purse but I'm wondering if Coach is pulling a "YSL/Louboutin" thing by purposefully re-creating a bag that looks similar.

I'm guessing my question is, if someone was sporting the Coach Legacy purse, would they be looked at as carrying a "Celine fake"?

Other designers are copying the general silhouette too. The ones that pop into my mind first are Reed Krakoff's Atlantique bags, several of MbMJ new bags and Philip Lim...

At least none of them have the same details...and no robot face. But the resemblance is there with the silhouette.
Actually, I'd love a Celine phantom luggage or mini luggage AND the Reed Krakoff totes but I just can't afford all these! :)

i'm not familiar with coach, can you post pic?

no it would not be labeled as a celine knockoff, nor will people really compare the two.
although the silhouette is a little similar, there are still minor differences.

and as a product designer, designs are always going to be inspired by other designers. everyone gets inspiration by other artworks, in this case handbags.
most of my handbag designs in school are inspired by celine and many other designers, if we werent inspired by other bags, there would have not been a celine luggage. im sure phoebe was inspired by another bag as well.

im just saying, there will always be another bag that looks similar to any bag you might own. so no one will necessarily think youre carrying a fake celine.
that was quite a long answer for a no. :)

I immediately thought of a Gucci bag I purchased in 2008 and my LV Artsy. I wouldn't say either is a knock off however just that they are designed the same and I obviously like that design. Hope this helps. I can post pics later if you would like :-)

If I saw the Coach Legacy bag, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a Celine fake, maybe more of an imitator. But like an above poster said, many other designers have drawn inspiration from Celine bags, so it's no big deal if a Coach bag looks similar. For me, I am glad I own Celine bags because I would rather carry the imitated than the imitators. I can see how the "face" on the Celine luggage may bother you, so it may be a good alternative to get another bag that has a similar style to the Celine bag.

Hope I'm allowed to post these examples here? Examples are Coach Legacy Candace, Reed Krakoff Atlantique & MbMJ flipping out. The MbMJ Burg Boxer bag has wings that fold into the bag but I haven't posted a pic of it here. I wouldn't think of these as "fake" Celine bags but just following a trend towards a certain shape.

Designers "copy" or "draw inspiration" from other designers all the time.

Marc Jacobs took the quilting and heavy chain from Chanel's classic flaps. The wings on the picture above seems reminiscent from Celine's phantom.

Coach's new legacy line looks somewhat of a hybrid between the Celine cabas and phantom/luggage bags - with the colorfulness and wing ideas.

Of course, that doesn't mean its a bad thing. I guess its a good and a bad thing. Bad is that sometimes designers get TOO caught up into inspiration and turning it into a plagiarized bag, or a direct copy. Good is that people can buy these bags at a fraction of the cost from the actual premium designer bags. Its not like everyone runs around with couture gowns made of $10000.

H&M and Zara takes inspiration from other designers to provide us with clothes as well...