Kate Spade (1962-2018), the founder of the iconic and beloved Kate Spade New York brand, passed away on June 5, 2018.
Kate Spade created a brand that combined ‘high-end fashion with Main street’. Kate Spade New York was founded in 1993 and debuted with just six handbag silhouettes, combining sleek, utilitarian shapes and color palettes in an entirely new way.
Her death has bought forth immense mourning and memories from the many people who’s lives she had touched directly and indirectly.
Kate Spade New York released a statement stating:
“We at kate spade new york just learned of the incredibly sad news that Kate Spade has passed away. Although Kate has not been affiliated with the brand for more than a decade, she and her husband and creative partner, Andy, were the founders of our beloved brand. Kate will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with Andy and the entire Spade family at this time.”
For many women, Kate Spade handbags and accessories were a symbol of professional achievement and made going into adulthood fashionable.
From a journalist at a fashion magazine to a designer with no formal training, she started the brand with the thought of giving women bags which were functional, yet had a pop to them. Her color palette made America brighter and happier.
“Everyone remembers their first Kate Spade,” CNN White House reporter and former fashion editor Kate Bennett said. “The brand became one of that accessible but quirky fun, timeless labels that everyone had to have, and her rise was synonymous with her name.”
Notable people such as Chelsea Clinton and Mindy Kaling expressed their condolences for Kate Spade and how her creations inspired their daily lives.
“My grandmother gave me my first Kate Spade bag when I was in college, Ms Clinton said. I still have it. Holding Kate’s family, friends and loved ones in my heart.”
“I am heartbroken about the news of Kate Spade, Ms Kaling said. I have worn her clothes many, many times. They were colorful, bold, cheerful, and encouraged women to find the twinkly person inside them. You couldn’t walk into her boutiques and not smile. Rest In Peace, Kate.”
Kate Spade was a visionary who inspired a generation of young women that they can be professional and fashionable and always bring a little bit of fun into their wardrobe. She is survived by her daughter Frances and her husband Andy Spade.
