The History of Dooney & Bourke: From Humble Beginnings to Iconic Luxury

Explore the fast-rising, celebrity-favored Dooney & Bourke bags. Discover why this stylish, TV-endorsed brand is the must-have for young women.

Dooney & Bourke is relatively new on the scene. However, its bags have quickly become style staples. Their popularity has drawn in celebrities as well as young women. The brand also collaborated with popular TV shows.

Origins

With a name like Dooney, it’s no surprise that the surname has appeared in historical records. However, translations of Gaelic names at that time were not always exact, resulting in spelling variations, even for names referring to the same person.

The company began as a leather goods brand and started selling its first handbags in 1982. While the company’s line of bags continues to be a mainstay, it has also added apparel and accessories.

Originally marketed to an older clientele – the country club set – Dooney made an effort to appeal to a younger audience in 2003, hiring actresses to advertise their It Bag collection in teen magazines. The strategy worked, and Dooney continued to make its mark in the designer fashion world.

Products

Dooney produces leather goods, including women’s and men’s handbags, small accessories, and luggage. Historically, the company produced several different styles of leather belts and suspenders. Currently, the company focuses on a variety of fashionable bags that include totes, crossbody and shoulder bags, and satchels.

Aside from its Manhattan flagship store, Dooney also operates other stores and factory outlets throughout the country. Its merchandise can be found at department stores, select specialty shops, and online.

Apparel

In recent years, Dooney & Bourke has expanded their product line to include apparel. They now produce sweaters, scarves, jackets, and even shoes. They also have partnered with MLB and the NFL to create team-themed bags that allow fans to show their support in style.

Dooney repositioned its brand with the introduction of a Cabriolet leather line and leaner silhouettes. It also placed more emphasis on fashion magazines and began selling in high-end stores.

In 2004, Dooney introduced the It Bag, a four-bag line that featured interlocking D&B colored logos and a pink heart-shaped hand tag.

Accessories

In the 1980s, Dooney expanded into luggage and other accessories. They teamed up with a variety of brands and celebrities to create limited-edition bags that captured the essence of their partners. For instance, they created a line of bags for the popular reality TV show Duck Dynasty and worked with Harper's Bazaar to produce a special edition collection.

Dooney has also had some fun with graphics, partnering with Disney, and covering certain styles in interlocking Ds and Bs. These graphic additions repositioned the brand in a way that appealed to a new generation of customers.

Today, Dooney is a leader among designer handbag companies and is a name recognized around the world. Their bags are coveted by fashionistas and the everyday working women alike.

Retail outlets

In the world of designer handbags, Dooney has carved out a niche for itself. The company gives European fashion giants a run for their money when it comes to quality leather and craftsmanship.

Dooney's focus is mainly women's bags, but they also sell accessories and travel items such as rolling trunks, distinctive duffles in fabric and leather, and travel wallets. Dooney has made an effort to broaden their demographic in recent years, using young actresses in a series of advertising campaigns. Dooney operates three freestanding stores and 11 factory outlets. The outlet locations are a great place to pick up last season's styles at discounted prices. The outlet and factory stores carry the full line of Dooney products, including accessories so that customers can shop for their entire wardrobe at one location.