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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.
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
Collections 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.
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 includingMischa 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.
Product Locations
Dooney & Bourke's flagship store is located in
New York City. Other Dooney
and Bourke locations are in the United States.
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.
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]
References
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^ Louis
Vuitton sues rival Dooney
External links
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