Dagne Dover, an online handbag retailer, provides busy women with bags that have separate compartments for all of the essentials. The New York-based company was founded by Melissa Mash, Deepa Gandhi, and Jessy Dover.
“Dagne” is a Nordic word for “new dawn.” They wanted to create a new type of handbag to change women’s expectations.
The company’s goal is to eliminate the common problems of not having enough room for everything in a handbag and of not being able to find things when they are needed. A Dagne Dover tote has spaces for a laptop, tablet, smartphone, wallet, water bottle or umbrella, sunglasses, pen or lipstick, ID, and keys. The company has also introduced The Mini Tote, The Tiny Tote, and the Clutch-Wallet in multiple colors and materials.
Mash was inspired to create a line of handbags based on her experiences and those of other women who had trouble fitting everything in their handbags and staying organized. She wanted to create handbags with a thoughtful interior design that would reduce women’s anxiety.
The company’s founders say they have frequent discussions with their customers about what items they carry and what problems they frequently encounter. They study how women use their bags and their competitors’ and try to figure out ways to make women’s lives easier.
Dagne Dover handbags do not have bold logos like many other brands. The founders know that many women do not want to be defined by the brand of handbag they carry, and they wanted their bags to be recognizable based on their materials and silhouettes.
The startup received $1.25 million in seed funding from several well-known investors last year. They were able to raise the money in part by showing investors women’s reactions to their handbag designs.
The founders of Dagne Dover have extensive experience in various aspects of the retail and handbag industry and have worked for several famous companies. They believe that the fact that the company has multiple founders with different experiences is one of their strengths.
One of the major challenges the company faces is how to scale quickly while maintaining quality. They are planning to introduce new products, designs, and materials this year.
Leave a Reply