Behind-the-Seams Showroom Tour: Dooney & Bourke

Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, Dooney & Bourke is headed up by Frederick Bourke and H. Peter Dooney - whose last names combine to make the label's moniker. Known for its distinctive initial-covered luggage and handbags, the company comes out with several new signature prints each season.

In one of the coolest collaborations of the year, Dooney and Heroes starlet Hayden Panettiere have teamed up to create a gorgeous patent leather shoulder bag. Available in four colors for fall, the bag retails for $500, and orders have been flooding in. The handbag won't even be available until December, but it's already so popular that the company is planning to come out with even more colors for spring. And I just so happened to see some of the new hues in the showroom (including yellow, turquoise and gold), so here's a picture so you can view them yourself!

Another thing that struck me at the Dooney showroom is just how much metallic leather there was around! The designers explained to me that the brand has "a very strong metallic and patent leather collection this year, including lots of fun purse accessories." Dooney's metallic accessories included everything from a wallet to a tissue holder, and they're really important to the label because "even if you don't want to carry a big metallic bag you can carry them inside," they said.

I always love seeing how the folks at Dooney will reinvent their logo each season, and this time they made it look like a crossword puzzle! "It's a new pattern, and it's in our fall catalog so it'll be in stores in December," one of the Dooney designers shared.

Another super-fun pattern for next season is the "Zebra Brights" collection, which features zany animal stripes in bold colors. What I really loved was the fact that they're also going to have a matching wristwatch to go with it!

Last but not least, I took a peek at Dooney's newest line of plastic totes, emblazoned with what they call the "Miami" pattern. Fun, colorful, and perfect for the beach, the designers told me that this print is "meant for the young market." Hopefully that means me, because I'm going to be snapping one up!