Dagne Dover quick picks
Tech organizer: Dagne Dover Arlo Tech Organizer
Pet carrier: Dagne Dover Kyoto Pet Carrier
Backpack: Dagne Dover Brooklyn Flap-Top Backpack
Toiletry bag: Dagne Dover Mila Toiletry Bag
Grocery tote: Dagne Dover Dash Grocery Tote
In 2013, Deepa Gandhi, Jessy Dover and Melissa Shin Mash founded travel brand Dagne Dover to address the gaps they were seeing in the market at the time. As Mash explains, all three founders had their respective bag struggles, but managing a luxury store helped her realize these problems were far-reaching. “There was really a gaping hole in the market for brands that were well priced, that had a design sensibility to it, that sort of had a classic look to it, but used performance material that could flex between [the] gym to [the] office to travel to running around town,” Mash says, adding those are the products Dagne Dover strives to create. Currently, the brand offers everything from tech organizers and backpacks to garment bags and wallets. Made from high-quality materials and thoughtfully designed, the brand’s bags and accessories are incredibly versatile and made to be carried from one place to the next.
Part of what the founders contribute to their success is listening to their customers, which Mash explains is something they’ve been doing from the beginning. For people who are unfamiliar with Dagne Dover, Gandhi says one thing she wants them to know is just how important community and team culture is to the brand. As she explains, “It’s one of the reasons I think Melissa, Jessy and I first really connected. We connected on wanting to build this great brand, but we also connected on wanting to build a better place and we do so much to support that internally [and] externally,” she says. “We’re women-founded, we’re BIPOC-founded, and diversity and inclusion and focusing on a more eco-friendly approach to the industry is extremely important to us.”
Dagne Dover’s give-back initiatives are another aspect of the brand the founders are proud of. One of those initiatives is the brand’s hero program where health care workers, military members and teachers receive a discount on full-price items on their website year-round. At checkout, customers can also choose to donate to a range of different causes if they wish.
In the last few months, the brand has dropped some exciting new products, including a pet carrier, which Mash says will keep your pets comfortable even after you’ve reached your destination. To learn more about the brand and its products, we spoke with two of Dagne Dover’s founders, Deepa Gandhi and Melissa Shin Mash.
How did you come up with the name for your brand, and were there other names you considered?
Melissa Shin Mash: Dagne means “new dawn,” “new day” in Nordic languages, and Dover is Jessy, our third co-founder’s last name. We came up with the name because we wanted to have it represent what we wanted this business to be — something that was representative of a generation. We wanted to say that we were going to shift the status quo, which we fundamentally have in so many ways for the industry. Jessy is the creative director and the designer behind it, so making sure she had her name behind it was exciting. And then, in terms of the naming process, yes, we went through many. It’s always a question around … what sounds great, but once we got to this one, it felt right. It felt representative of who we wanted the brand to be.
When you first launched your brand, what products did you launch with and why?
MSM: So, the biggest need in the market at the time was that there were no feminine-looking work bags that were also organized. And that is really what was so obvious, especially being in business school and living that life of doing interviews and going to class and trying to look perfectly put together, and then our bags being literally a black hole where there was one tiny pocket where you could only fit a few cards. That’s not organization. That’s not the look of feeling prepared and confident. And so the first style that we launched was a tote. It actually is extremely similar to what you see on the site today for our Legend Tote or the Classic Tote. And then we also launched with the clutch wallet, which was a great day-to-evening option where you could have it in your bag and have it be your wallet, but then at night, you could just take that out and go out.
If you could take only one Dagne Dover product on a trip with you, which one would it be?
Deepa Gandhi: I would say the Brooklyn backpack; it is from our Travel 1.0 collection that launched toward the end of last year, and it is just insane how much it can carry. The capacity is fantastic. The material is very durable. It’s really comfortable sitting on your shoulders. I have a pretty small frame, and it still, even though it’s a larger backpack, fits really nicely on me. It has a ton of compartments, like hidden ones, extra ones, outside, inside, everything …
What are some of Dagne Dover’s bestsellers?
MSM: Within the neoprene [collection], our overall bestseller for the whole company is our Indi Diaper Backpack, which is on every list. You see a ton of celebrities carrying it for their babies, and it’s fantastic because it doesn’t look like a diaper bag, and it’s certainly very unisex, so everyone feels comfortable carrying it. It also comes with all the bells and whistles, so you don’t have to think about, “Oh, I need to get an extra changing pad. I need to get a little pouch for diapers or for things that get spilled on or plastic bags.” You don’t need to carry anything. You have everything in there. You got the stroller clips, the baby clips, and so we really tried to take the thinking out of anything that we design and produce and provide to our customers so that it’s a one-stop solution.
Two additional ones is our Mila toiletry bag. It’s an organizer. It’s a great way, first of all, for you to customize how you organize your skin care and your toiletry and then also be able to see everything from a top-down point of view so you don’t have to riffle through any bags or look through any pouches like literally, everything is highly visible with the way that it’s designed. So that is loved by honestly everyone, but in particular, people who do have extensive skin care routines or makeup routines as well. And then another style that has been extremely popular is one of our backpack silhouettes again. It’s part of our collection called Travel 1.0. It’s made out of basically an indestructible nylon, and it is called the Brooklyn Backpack. It’s super durable. It’s waterproof, weather-resistant. You can do everything to it, travel with it, and it’s made out of 100% recycled material …
Dagne Dover products worth trying
I’m something of a tote bag connoisseur, but this tote really stands out for its unique mesh texture. For something that’s almost see-through, though, it’s surprisingly sturdy. While the name suggests it’s meant for groceries, I often use it for other errands and for lugging products of all sorts to and from the office. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
This spacious, lightweight mesh tote is probably one of my favorite Dagne Dover products. I've carried it into the office with me and even brought it on my last vacation, which was a cruise. I wanted something that would look good and that I wouldn't have to worry about dirtying, and the Dash ended up being the perfect bag to carry around the ship and use onshore as a beach bag. It has a roomy main compartment and a pocket inside for smaller things, like your phone and earbuds. Plus, it has a key leash, so you have a place to put your keys. — Rachel Dennis, editorial coordinator
I gifted my partner this spacious backpack when he landed a new job, and it’s gone to work with him every day since. It’s made out of a super-durable recycled material that matches its utilitarian style. Like all of our Dagne Dover bags, it features practical design details like an exterior tech pocket that can fit larger laptops, a wide top opening and plenty of pockets for organization. Somehow he packs in 15 pounds of stuff on the average day (we weighed it one time), but he says the wide straps and way the backpack is designed keeps it comfortable. — Sophie Shaw, beauty and fashion editor
I have the Mara Phone Sling in a couple colors and change it out for each season. It’s the perfect size for running errands in the neighborhood, doing my laundry or heading to the gym. It’s also my go-to for hiking. It has a mesh exterior pocket for my phone and a main zippered compartment that has multiple credit card slots and enough space for the essentials like my keys, lip gloss, gum and floss. — Tamara Kraus, senior lifestyle editor
I was never a backpack person as an adult. I spent years commuting in pain while carrying tote bags until I finally decided to give in and try this one from Dagne Dover — after all, I was seeing so many people carry this backpack around New York City that I figured it was worth trying. I love how lightweight the neoprene material is, which is especially important because my work laptop and other essentials are so heavy. It has a ton of pockets and organizational features, including a laptop sleeve, a key leash and hidden side compartments for items you need easy access to. I get so many compliments on it too — although I have a limited-edition color from a few years ago that’s no longer available. — Amina Lake Abdelrahman, home and gifts editor
I love Dagne Dover’s bags for traveling (I have at least eight of them, from the duffels to smaller organizers), and this handy sling bag became one of my absolute favorites while exploring Australia and New Zealand earlier this year. It has a sporty style that makes it great for outdoor activities, like hiking or even beach days, and convenient features that make it easy to keep your most important belongings secure yet accessible to you. For example, there are several interior pockets, including a zippered one big enough to fit a passport. On the outside, there’s a phone slot in the perfect location for easy access. My only qualm is that the lighter Moonbeam color has gotten a little dingy on the strap, but that’s expected when you’re toting it around in the elements. Either way, both colors it comes in are currently over 50% off. — Sophie Shaw, beauty and fashion editor
If you hate having your cables lying all over the place or floating around in your bag, you need a tech organizer. I've had the small version of the Arlo for a couple of years and recently got my hands on the larger size. The small version is what I carry into the office to keep all my tech accesssories organized. It can comfortably fit my laptop charging cable, laptop charging block, phone charging cable and wired headphones. The bigger version, on the other hand, can fit all of that and more, thanks to its extra compartments. — Rachel Dennis, editorial coordinator
This tech organizer has accompanied me on every trip I’ve taken, long or short, for years and years. Its straps and pockets keep cords and chargers in their place, and it’s super compact, so I can fit it into checked bags and carry-ons alike. Pro tip: Store your extra phone charger, headphones and cables in the case so it’s one fewer thing to pack when you’re ready to hit the road. — Chelsea Stone, editorial director
Before getting this case, I would just throw my jewelry in a Ziploc, so this is a big upgrade. It comes in two sizes, and I have the smaller one, which I find to fit just the right number of options for vacation. It has plenty of storage options for earrings in particular, with spots where you can fasten your posts, hoops and more. I can usually fit three to four rings and two to three necklaces in there too. The hard exterior shell feels substantial, so I never have to worry about my pieces getting damaged. — Sophie Shaw, beauty and fashion editor
Unlike my other travel bags, the Denver Convertible Duffel can be carried as a duffel bag or comfortably worn on the back as a backpack, which I love. Designed for short trips, it has multiple pockets and a padded tech compartment for your laptop. It even comes with a bag for you to put your shoes in, so you can keep them separate from your clothing. — Rachel Dennis, editorial coordinator