4. Reed Krakoff

Handbag Houdini

Don't yawn at the sight of another picture of Reed Krakoff, the executive creative director of Coach. True, the guy gets more press than Demi and Ashton, but he has turned the stodgy American brand favored by New Canaan, Conn., housewives and briefcase-toting free-lance writers into a global fashion status symbol. In fiscal year 2003 alone, Coach profits were up 67%. And while the rest of the retail industry was struggling with the effects of SARS, war in Iraq and unemployment, Krakoff was catapulting Coach from a half-a-billion-dollar company to a projected $1.1 billion company in 2004.

How did a 39-year-old...

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