Designer Spotlight: Dagne Dover Delivers Smart Bags

Dagne Dover, an online handbag company, led by Melissa Mash, is at the forefront of a growing community of e-tailers who are offering professional women career-friendly fashions. The New York-based brands niche is classic bag styles with thoughtfully-designed interiors. The Tote comprises multiple organizational compartments laptop, tablet, & smartphone sleeves, a wallet pocket, a water bottle/umbrella holder, sunglass pouch, pen/lipgloss loops, ID holder, and a detachable keystrap.

The companys mission to merge function & fashion aims to support the working woman and her command-center handbag by eliminating the hassles of traditional, black-hole bag interiors. Along the way, Dagne Dover is differentiating itself from the plethora of handbags available in the marketplace. Recently, the brand expanded its collection to include The Mini Tote, The Tiny Tote, and The Clutch-Wallet. Multiple colors and materials are offered. Prices range from $165-$345.

Mash cofounded Dagne Dover with Deepa Gandhi and Jessy Dover in 2012. Recently, Gandhi was included in Forbes 30 Under 30. Last year, the women-owned startup bagged $1.25 million in seed funding from angel investors, including David Bell (an investor in Warby Parker and Bonobos), David Williams (an investor in Rent The Runway and The RealReal), and Dominic Cioffoletti (former Coach VP of Sales).

Before Dagne Dover, Mash studied at NYU and worked at Coach both in NYC & London before attending business school at Wharton. The founding team has an extensive background in the retail and handbag industry.

Dagne Dover CEO & Co-Founder shares more:

Kristina Moore: When did you first recognize professional women were being underserved in terms of handbag organizational features and why are you passionate about serving her with Dagne Dover?

Melissa Mash: While I was working in London reintroducing the Coach brand to the UK/EU market, I spoke with customers every day. And in looking for a handbag, women all had the same problems: they couldnt find a handbag with a laptop sleeve, their water bottle spilled all over and ruined their papers and tech in their bag, their keys scratched their laptop, they couldnt ever find their keys, wallet, etc. Their handbags made them feel like a hot mess.

Fast forward a year. Im in business school, Im carrying a $1000 bag that was supposed to be the ultimate professional lady boss bag and my laptop wouldnt even fit in it, let alone fit folders, binders, etc. The three general interior pockets did nothing for me, except give me three pockets to potentially misplace my phone. At the same time, my peers were putting so much effort into looking perfectly put together for recruiting events but its hard to look put together while youre doing a two-bag schlep or while youre rifling through your black-hole bag for a resume! Also, a lot of women were wearing bags that were perceived to be too casual to be taken seriously or too flashy to be professional. Combining what I had seen while I was at Coach, along with my personal struggles and those I observed, I knew there was tremendous opportunity for a fashion brand that nailed thoughtful interior design.

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Designer Spotlight: Dagne Dover Delivers Smart Bags