Dooney & Bourke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Founded | South Norwalk, Connecticut, 1975 |
| Headquarters | 1 Regent Street, Norwalk, CT 06855 |
| Key people | Peter Dooney and Frederic Bourke |
| Products | handbags, women's accessories, men's accessories, business cases, weekend and travel accessories, watches, footwear. |
| Website | Dooney and Bourke |
Dooney & Bourke is a company specializing in fashion accessories, such as handbags, iPod cases, luggage, bracelets, watches, and briefcases, as well as a limited clothing line, which includes sweaters, shoes, jackets, and scarves. While most products are made for women, there are some products, such as sweaters, belts, wallets, briefcases, and some shoes made for men. Founded in 1975, Dooney & Bourke products range from $20–$625. Dooney & Bourke produces goods in the niche market where the brand is recognizable as a mid-level product but is priced such that it is easily accessible to the budget conscious.
Contents |
[edit] History
Dooney & Bourke started in 1975 when Peter Dooney and Frederic Bourke launched their namesake in South Norwalk, Connecticut. The duo started off with two introductory products: surcingle belts, which were popular due to their unique vibrant colors and stripes, and classic suspenders.
In 1981, Dooney & Bourke branched out into the handbag business with the release of the Tack Case and the Equestrian Bag, both made from bridle leather. Along with their original distributors such as Nordstrom, Brooks Brothers, and Saks Fifth Avenue, they opened The Company Store in Norwalk, Connecticut which sold among other things Dooney & Bourke Merchandise. In 1983, with the development of their famous All-Weather Leather (AWL) bag, the first AWL handbag collection was released featuring a duck logo with a russet leather trim. A new outlet was opened on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California in 2003. In 2006 and 2007, the "Emma Bag," a small oval sized bag named after Emma Roberts, was created. In 2007, Hayden Panettiere, an actress on the NBC television series Heroes, designed a new bag for Dooney & Bourke
[edit] Collections
 |
This article may contain wording that promotes the subject subjectively without imparting verifiable information. Please remove or replace such wording, unless you can cite independent sources that support the characterization. |
The All-Weather Leather (AWL) bag is a waterproof bag which is made using cowhide. Because of this, water sheds off these bags. The AWL requires minimal care. Difficult stains can be removed with water and a mild bar soap, such as Ivory or saddle soap. Caution should be used with any creams for cleaning or conditioning as the oils in the creams could soften and open the pores, thereby defeating the specialized shrinking process which makes the leather waterproof.
[edit] Advertising Today
For 2007/2008, actress Hayden Panettiere has taken over the creation of her own line of Dooney and Bourke bags, including the Hayden bag, and the patent leather bag known as the 'Chiarra'. The 2006 representative for Dooney and Bourke was actress Emma Roberts of Aquamarine and Unfabulous, the niece of Julia Roberts.
Other celebrities including Mischa Barton from The O.C., Lindsay Lohan, and Michelle Trachtenberg have modeled in advertisements for Dooney & Bourke in past years.
Dooney & Bourke advertise in several fashion and style magazines such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, ELLE, Vanity Fair, Lucky, InStyle, and W.
Dooney & Bourke also sends out quarterley catalogs to customers who join their mailing list by visiting their website or calling their toll-free number.
[edit] Product Locations
Dooney & Bourke's flagship store is located in New York City. Other Dooney and Bourke locations include:
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Costa Mesa, California
- Dallas, Texas at NorthPark Center
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- White Plains, New York
Dooney and Bourke products can also be purchased online, on auction sites such as eBay (though authenticity cannot be guaranteed through such sites), at many department stores, off-price discount stores, and at many Dooney & Bourke factory stores nationwide.
[edit] Louis Vuitton vs. Dooney and Bourke
In April 2004, rival Louis Vuitton filed suit against Dooney & Bourke, stating Dooney & Bourke had infringed its allegedly famous Murakami Monogram Multicolore collection. On May 30, 2008, District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled in favor of Dooney & Bourke and dismissed the case. [1]
