A luxury leather goods store is coming to downtown New Canaan.
Dooney & Bourke is coming to South and Elm. Credit: Michael Dinan
Norwalk-based Dooney & Bourke, maker of bags and accessories, is moving into the vacant space at the corner of South Avenue and Elm Street, according to signs going up on the building.
The company has “fostered a relationship with premier European craftsmen, refining techniques to create high performance materials with enduring quality,” according to its website. “The entrepreneurial spirit of Dooney & Bourke remains. We are privately run, independent, and dedicated to the exceptional artisanal craftsmanship that has separated our brand from its competitors.”
The space at 66 Elm St. has been vacant since Heather Gaudio Fine Art moved to Greenwich in September.
Dooney & Bourke was founded in Norwalk in 1975 by Peter Dooney as a purveyor of belts, suspenders and small leather goods, according to its website. The company describes its style as “chic” (“We defy changing taste with a classic approach to luxury, and our signature styles are always in demand,” its website says).
It isn’t clear why Dooney & Bourke chose to launch a store in New Canaan, when it’s expected to open or whether that will be during holiday shopping season. Messages left for the company were not returned.
I find it baffling and somewhat bizarre that a company launching a new store would not respond to overtures from the local press.