Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick French.
Hi Patrick, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Davey’s is a US Heritage Brand dating back to 1954. At that time, production was in Worcester, MA and handbags were sold in major department stores including: Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdales. They closed in the early 90s and we brought the brand back to the market in 2012.
From the very beginning, Davey’s handbags and accessories have combined New England Craftsmanship with modern design and functionality ideas.
The brand’s heritage lineage has evolved through the skills of handmade harnessmakers, American student culture, New England’s Ivy-League style, 1980’s preppie New York fashion, hip-hop culture and the rise of streetwear.
Building on a tradition isn’t an easy thing to do. When developing new products, we look to the Davey’s archives for inspiration. We select popular styles from the past and update them with an authenticity that is uniquely Davey’s.
Davey’s respects your individuality. On most of our handbags, the embossed Davey’s logo plate can be interchanged with an engraved monogram plate. You choose the font and up to 7 characters, making it YOUR bag!
Davey’s also believes in sustainability through upcycling. We look for fabrics that have already been created and curate a special collection for you. Each bag is part of a limited edition collection and arrives with a tag that is hand-numbered.
For years, most retailers have focused on quantity over quality. At Davey’s, we make each of our products in a very limited quantity to offer our customers a very unique product.
Davey’s – It’s YOUR bag!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
– Over-saturated handbag market
– Brand had not been in commerce in 20 years before we brought it back
– We wanted to do USA production, but at the time it was very hard to find and very expensive. We are currently doing USA production and will be doing more in the next year or two.
– When we brought the brand back, it was the beginning of the e-commerce era, so that was both a challenge to navigate and an opportunity to grow and reach more people.
– social media advertising has always been challenging for us. The algorithms change often and it is competitive and expensive for small businesses.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Upcoming POP-UP Events:
Sat. Nov 22 – Sun. Nov 23
Davey’s Holiday POP-UP
Mae Lee’s Boutique
Kern’s Food Hall
Knoxville, TN
TBD
Dandy Lion’s Gifts
Maryville, TN
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I moved to Knoxville in 1999 and heard many people there speaking and asking about Davey’s bags. They had remembered it from the late 80s when they were in middle school and asked what happened to the brand.. That is what prompted us to start looking into the brand and thinking about bringing the it back to the market.
Pricing:
- $98
- $148
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daveysusa.com
- Instagram: @daveysusa
- Facebook: daveysusa
