8. Dobbin
Founders: Jessica Gold Newman, Catherine DoyleYear Launched: 2012
Factory Locations: New New York’s Garment District
How It Started: Jessica Gold Newman and Catherine Doyle met at Liz Lange Maternity, then struck out on their own last year to create polished, comfortable, work-appropriate outfits that can go “from business to Broadway.” Dobbin features the same Italian fabrics and European mills as luxury brands, but uses a size 8 model for fittings instead of the industry standard of a size 2. Prices are under $200. Their business model seems to be working: They have six full-time employees with sales reaching $1 million.
