Life Imitates Art: Kate Spade
Photo by Airam Dato-on from Pexels.
The story of Kate Spade is one like no other. From her humble beginnings in Kansas City to starting a fashion empire that took a hold of the media, her legacy has inspired millions.
Spade’s story begins in one of the biggest fashion districts, New York. Starting as a fashion assistant for the illustrious magazine Mademoiselle, she quickly climbed the ranks, becoming the associate editor in charge of covering the accessories. In 1991, Spade left the magazine, her heart leaning more toward creating than analyzing fashion. With paper in hand and the support from her soon-to-be husband, Spade created her first designs.
Spade wasn’t a fashion student, nor did she seem to take any interest in the industry, unlike many other famous designers. She even told Guy Raz at NPR (2017), “I remember being really embarrassed that I wasn’t a student from Parsons or RISD or FIT—that I really didn’t know what I was doing.”
Whether she was a formal or designer or not, there's no doubt that her accessories had an impact. The center of her first collection, released in 1993, was the “Sam” bag. Its boxy, simplistic design became an instant success, especially with its popularity among celebrities, most notably the Olsen twins, Gwenyth Paltrow, and even modern stars like Dua Lipa. Even with the bag’s success and a luxury price of $100-400, the company didn't turn any profit for another three years. No one made a salary, and the company was almost entirely funded by her husband, Andy Spade. With profit margins so low, the Spades considered quitting. But in 1996, Kate Spade was awarded the New Fashion Talent in Accessories prize from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). This award brought her farther into the spotlight, allowing her to open up her first store in New York. Andy quit his day job, and the Spade brand continued to climb.
In 1999, The Neiman Marcus Group bought a controlling 56% of the company for an estimated $33 million. The Spades still remained in creative control and expanded the brand into new areas, most notably their bath and body lines. After a series of purchases and awards gifted to both Kate Spade the person and the brand, the Spades officially left the brand in 2007. Deborah Lloyd was hired as Kate Spade’s new creative director that year, and under her leadership the brand launched apparel, jewelry, children’s apparel and more, as well as created a sister brand, Kate Spade Saturday.
After spending her time on philanthropy, Spade returned to the fashion world in 2016 under the new brand Frances Valentine (named after her daughter). To mark this historic return, Kate Spade legally changed her name to Kate Valentine. Though not as successful as her debut brand, Frances Valentine saw tremendous success.
On June 5, 2018, after years of battling depression and mental illness alike, Kate Spade committed suicide in her New York apartment. Even today, years after her death, Spade's legacy lives on through many designers inspired and tributing her work. Kate Spade will always be seen as an inspiration to thousands of people, showing that you can achieve anything if you try.
References
Conlon, S. (2018, June 5). Kate Spade: down-to-earth designer who became a fashion icon. The Guardian. Retrieved June 1, 2026, from https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jun/05/kate-spade-down-to-earth-designer-who-became-a-fashion-icon
How Kate Spade Built an Empire: A Timeline. (2018, June 6). Glamour. Retrieved June 1, 2026, from https://www.glamour.com/story/kate-spade-life-career-timeline
Kate Spade death: Suicide note addressed to daughter; sister believes designer had bipolar disorder. (2018, June 6). CBS News. Retrieved June 1, 2026, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kate-spade-fashion-designer-dead-apparent-suicide-sister-struggled-bipolar-disorder/
