I’m starting a new trend and it’s called Dagne Dover-ing it. Chic, Classy and surprisingly functional I was sold at multi-pocket.
MY life is fast paced and, happily chaotic.
I am constantly on the lookout for a bag that is going to fit into my mad lifestyle. Between jumping around town to catch fashion shows and showing up to red carpet events my life, and fashion sense, doesn’t leave room for the function I need. My bags are pretty and small, but too small to fit a lipstick, phone, business cards and anything else. Maybe I’ll bring a huge tote which is a huge bag of chaos, and looks tacky when sitting front row. Not to mention there is no room at crowded fashion shows.
I am constantly cramming my Girls Scout arsenal in my purse and have nowhere to fit everything. Let’s add the discomfort of rifling through my bag for simple things like my make-up and biz info, and I am left with the thing every woman fights every day. A mess.
Welcome to the lovely land of Dagne Dover Bags.
With a streamlined look this tote screams perfected Parisian street style with the added look of luxury. Coming in five colors (for now, see below) including Cork/Limon and Cork (perfect for summer beach trips) Dagne Dover covers your stylish needs.
I prefer timeless chic to something that screams, “I am trying to be trendy”. I also prefer functionality to a black hole of a bag. Dagne Dover just fixed that.
The AMAZING Dagne Dover tote, has so much organization, my O.C.D. is taking a vacation.
Yes. Dagne Dover is victorious in the functional department. The outside is a sleek exterior. The inside, the same. Pockets for everything from your electronics to your girl goodies. Water bottle, check, keys, lip gloss, check, phone, laptop, accessories and I’m ready for a 7 day work week of 24/7 shows and networking.
Looking for a little more compact, budgetista friendly Dagne Dover item. Shop no more. Here, we have my personal favorite. A compact version of the tote, the Tiny Tote.
Six colors give you a chance to pick one that fits your personality and still carry your note or kindle in comfort.
Worried about security? The have a convenient zip top, (travel security!) and a wallet attached for your convenience so you can grab the train and not lose money, your metro pass or your phone.
Thanks to the lovely people at Barring Eyewear who connected us, I got a chance to catch up with, and interview the brilliant CEO and founder of Dagne Dover bags, Melissa Mash and ask a little about the foundation and creation of Dagne Dover.
What inspired you to create Dagne Dover bags?
During business school my friends and I were struggling to carry all of our daily essentials in a bag that made us feel perfectly put together. Before business school, I had worked at Coach both in NYC and London. While I was in London, I was in charge of introducing the Coach brand to Europe. While managing the first UK store, customers would come in daily looking for a bag that fit their laptops, water bottles, keys, wallets etc. Women’s on-the-go lives required a lot of organization in order to stay on top of their game, and there wasn’t a brand that was made for the modern woman who’s out from 7am until 10pm. I wanted to create that brand that women could count on every day — no matter the weather, no matter the occasion. I wanted to create a brand that was just as focused on the interior design as the exterior design. That’s how the idea for Dagne Dover was born.
Where did the name ‘Dagne Dover’ come from’?
Dagne is a Nordic word for “new dawn” and Dover is Jessy’s last name! We wanted Dagne Dover to be a new dawn for handbags — to change what women expect out of their handbags.
What styles does Dagne Dover come in and which one is your favorite (currently)?
The Tote, The Clutch-Wallet and The Tiny Tote. I LOVE The Tiny Tote! I’m really into minimalist living, so that has also trickled into my accessories of choice. I like being hands-free. However, The Tote is our best seller, and definitely solves women’s biggest handbag problems. It’s what gets the most attention by editors, bloggers, etc. — it’s great for school, work, travel — really everything!
What makes the Dagne Dover bag special and different(i.e. in your eyes)?
Smart internal functionality in a beautiful bag.
Absolute PERFECTION!
Tell us about the Dagne Dover bag line.
While I was introducing the Coach brand to Europe, I would speak with customers every day, and their call-outs were always the same — they wanted a bag with a laptop sleeve, water bottle holder, a place to hold their keys, wallet, work ID, etc. All of those were incorporated into our first prototypes. Additionally, we did a ton of market research early on to make sure that our totes were solving women’s needs. We surveyed and focus grouped over 1000 women and men to learn about people’s biggest handbag frustrations. We’re still creating styles to address those call-outs, so keep your eyes peeled! You can sign up here to be the first to know about new styles.
Dagne Dover is run by three highly ambitious woman, and I love that, how did you come together?
I started working on the business in January 2011. Later on that year, I was looking for a talented designer that “got” the aesthetic I wanted to create (but obviously didn’t have the skills to do!). I had heard of Jessy since she had won the Coach Accessories Design Competition in 2011, and after we worked together, I saw that she was the designer to bring the Dagne Dover brand to life.
I’ve known Deepa since 2007! She has a background in the more operational, financial end of retail from her time at Club Monaco. When she was in her first year at Wharton and I was in my second year, I was running focus groups, and Deepa was hooked. I knew she was going to be a fantastic fit based on her expertise and relationship with her.
How long have you been selling Dagne Dover? They seem to be in high demand.
Yes, we started our pre-sale in March 2013. Word-of-mouth demand for our bags was so high that we were sold out for months in 2014. We relaunched the site in August 2014 after we switched factories and were able to produce more bags than ever before.
As a stylist and editor I’m always on the go and currently tackling fashion week, what do you recommend I carry?
I absolutely recommend The Tiny Tote. It holds a lot more than meets the eye. You can put sunglasses, a camera, Kindle and more in it. It has three compartments for all your lip-gloss and make up options! It comes with a cute little card case for all your cash, cards and ID, and the key strap is perfect so you never leave home without your keys! (Editors note, I always forget my keys unless they are strapped to me with a carabiner which is the height of tacky)It’s perfect for a stylist, editor, blogger, or anyone who loves a good brunch bag for the weekends.
I travel overseas to the UK and Europe often, do you have something for in the Dagne Dover line for international travel?
Yes! The Tote is fantastic for travel (it fits perfectly under the seat in front of you!) and The Clutch-Wallet is great for a keeping all your essentials easily accessible. There’s even a secret pocket perfect for your passport and boarding pass!
I’ve noticed Dagne Dover bags sell out quickly, Do you plan on restocking soon? I need something I can carry for sanity, and Dagne Dover is one my ‘must buy’ list.
Yes! We are constantly trying to keep up with what our customers demand! We’ll be introducing new colors next month and more units of the cork that everyone loved so much. We’ll have more core colors available on our website this fall, so definitely keep an eye out for those!
Are you going to be introducing new bags to the line and expanding? I’d like to see more styles.
Oh yes. This is the year of color and new silhouettes. We’re launching a higher-end leather collection, in addition to a bunch of new silhouettes since that’s what our customers want! Stay tuned!
Thanks again Dagne Dover, we’re dying to get our Mini-Tote in limited edition turquoise. We just couldn’t help ourselves. This was the perfect item to help ease our lifestyle and make our outfits pop!
Want your own piece of Dagne Dover?
Click the logo below and check out their website!
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