In order to get free customizations, first you have to sign up on the
Coach or Coach Outlet website as a Coach Insider. I do not know when the rewards show up for free customization. As a Coach Insider, you get two free customizations per calendar year up to a maximum of $125 worth of items each. (I was able to combine my two customizations into one bag for Rosey). If you want more than the allotment, each additional tea rose or pin costs $20 each, no matter what size.
Coach website has a Customization option when selecting new purchases with set patterns for either tea roses or pins. You cannot mix between the two though. If you don’t like any of the patterns or want a different quantity of items and want to style it yourself with coach artist, you have to make an appt for customization and go to the retail store that has the customization table setup. Around where I live, only Coach Yorkdale in Toronto has it so it is a bit of a trek to get there, but it was worth it! It was so fun to play with the selection of items they had and see what looked good together! There seemed to be more selection there than what was shown on the website.
If you want to customize a different coach bag or strap or wallet, one you already own, you have to talk to the person who is in charge of performing the customizations at the retail store. They will confirm whether the item you want to style is “acceptable” to style either over the phone or via zoom call. Not sure what the acceptable criteria is on this. I heard mixed info from different customer service reps from at least two other stores that do not do customizations….some said only coach retail…only the new bags currently at retail…it depends on style whether it is doable since the tea roses and pins need access to both outside and inside of leather surface to do the riveting with the machine...I even heard one say it depends on whether it meets Coach standards for brand integrity! I found it pretty frustrating for a while as it put me off from trying it as it seemed their own staff really did not know. I finally spoke directly with the coach artist at the retail store that does it and am so happy I did!
If you don’t want to trek to the store to do the customizations and want one of the set patterns from the website, you could have your local coach retail store ship it to them. Not sure if there is a cost to this. You would have to select and choose your pattern and colours at that local coach retail store so they can put the proper instructions in the shipment. Again, if you do not like the patterns, you could still have it sent with the quantity you want and items selected, but then it will really be up to the Coach artist at the customization store on pattern layout. Once the rivets are attached, you cannot change them as they would leave holes in the leather otherwise.
