I got an email from Dooney & Bourke the other day, announcing the release of their new Florentine Vachetta Satchel. I actually really like the style, but it’s obviously a complete ripoff of the Miu Miu Bow Satchel that debuted in 2007. Let’s look at them together, shall we?
Almost every detail has been copied – the handle stitching, the golden ring details, the stud strap closure, the fold-over zippered top. All of the dimensions are within half an inch of being identical. The main difference is that the Dooney version has preppy tassels at the ends instead of the floppy Miu Miu bows that made this bag famous. I am not familiar with Dooney leather, but if their vachetta is anything like LV’s, it is much stiffer than the Bow Satchel’s soft, buttery stuff.
I feel somewhat divided about this. On one hand, the Dooney & Bourke satchel is a cheap knockoff of a lovely Miuccia Prada design. On the other hand, not everyone has the budget for Miu Miu – especially now that it’s almost as expensive as Prada. And the price difference is considerable: I believe the Bow Satchel was around $1,200 when it was available, although now it’s almost impossible to find. The D&B version is a much more affordable $358. And hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? So — if you want something similar to the Bow Satchel without the bows, at a more reasonable price, it may be worth checking out. Dooney.com doesn’t have it in stock yet, but supposedly* it ships in early April.
* I’m a little cynical about Dooney’s stocking policies due to my first (and probably last) experience with Dooney.com. Last October I decided to try one of their fall bags in a dark forest green, and ordered an in-stock bag from the website. I was excited about using it for late fall/winter holidays, so I paid extra for 2-day shipping. I received an email order confirmation but then…nothing. A week went by, then two weeks without a word, and no bag. I finally called and was told it was on backorder, that it should just be a few weeks. They never sent a backorder notification or anything. Repeat this scenario a few times…no bag, no email, I’d call them and the date would be bumped again. I finally received the bag last week — FOUR MONTHS after I ordered it. Way past the season for forest green. Dooney FAIL.
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