Dooney & Bourke history

While the design of whimsical suspenders provided some diversion for Peter Dooney and his team, the designing of leather belts grew tedious and, like Coach, they naturally turned their attention to the production of leather women's handbags in 1982.

From the models inside and the pricing note on the order form, it seems like it was printed in July 1987.

Dooney & Bourke opened its first freestanding store in 1990, an 1,800-square-foot unit located on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, close to the Coach store at Madison and 63rd Street.

1994 Fall Winter Dooney & Bourke Catalog

Sales topped $100 million, reaching $118 million in 1995.

As far as the date of manufacture, your bag is part of the “Vintage Collection” which first appears in my Holiday 1996 catalog.

The bag sold at retail for $98 in 1997.

In 1999 Dooney added a Cabriolet leather line of lighter-weight items.

The changes soon had an impact on sales, which enjoyed double-digit gains in 2000.

In 2001 it began a push to add more retail units, starting in August with the opening of a 2,000-square-foot store in Las Vegas' Venetian Hotel.

In 2003 Dooney teamed up with Teen Vogue, which helped to find young women to work with the company in designing a new teen-oriented handbag line.

Actress Lindsay Lohan was contracted to serve as the new face of the lines, and was featured in an advertising campaign that began in August 2004 to launch the lines.

Long the silent partner at Dooney, Frederic Bourke made unwanted headlines in October 2005 in a matter that had nothing to do with the company but nevertheless caused some embarrassment.