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There's a woefully short list of
the effortlessly stylish that includes women like Catherine
Deneuve and the late Audrey Hepburn. Add to that list Kate
Spade. The slim, brunette accessories designer has created a
brand that captures her classic aesthetic in more ways than
one. Spade's label, which appears on the outside of her
handbags, barely whispers her name. Wrought in lowercase
letters, it's charming, unconventional, and indisputably
tasteful: "kate spade."
Of
course, Spade's bags have always stood for more than a label.
While working at Mademoiselle as a fashion editor from 1986 to
1991, Spade observed a void in the accessories market. "I
wasn't seeing a lot of interesting bags," she explains. "Women
were carrying these big black or brown bags that they would
throw things into and then stow under their desks or under the
table at dinner." Spade changed all that when she left the
magazine world to take a shot at filling the void. The first
collection, launched in 1993, consisted of whimsical little
totes full of charm and good taste. Spade designed linen bags
for spring in colors like bright pink and green and a pretty
mocha brown. She lined them with cotton sateen gingham and
trimmed the tops with white flowers that had vibrant yellow
centers. The fashion industry wasted no time in snapping them
up.
One of
Spade's signatures is a no-nonsense, boxy black nylon tote.
That classic, introduced shortly after the spring bags that
wowed the industry, was the bag that put the Kate Spade label
on the arms of fashionistas from coast to coast. Today,
Spade's line of accessories has grown to include animal-print
bags done in sleek satin; preppy plaid silk shantung bags and
footwear in a sexy range of slingbacks, sandals, slides, and
mules.
If it
sounds like Spade has been busy, it's because she has. But
she's had help most notably from her husband and founding
partner, Andy Spade, whom she met while attending Arizona
State University. In the company's first few years, Andy spent
his days in the world of advertising at Manhattan agencies
like Saatchi & Saatchi and TBWA/Chiat/Day, but by night he
worked with Spade as the business found its legs. In 1996,
Andy joined full-time as president and creative director, and
last year he launched a line of men's accessories under the
label Jack Spade
There
have been moments for the couple when the magnitude of their
endeavor and its success has stopped them cold. "We probably
first realized that this was big on a vacation to Italy a few
years ago," says Spade. "We were at a hotel in Positano when
this woman strolled by carrying one of our bags. I said, 'Oh
my god,' and I nudged Andy. He knows the nudge quite well by
now," she says with a laugh.
The
nudge could become a major distraction for the Spades. Their
company has grown to include a number of carefully chosen
license agreements. Aficionados can now enjoy kate spade
sunglasses, launched in the spring of 2001, and in the spring
of 2002, Estée Lauder will launch kate spade beauty and
skincare products.
The
design philosophy that holds the company together is a simple
one, illustrated by Spade herself. "When you are defining your
own style, it's so important not to be nervous," she explains.
"If you've already pulled off a simple, clean look, then you
can just add one great piece: shoes or a bag. Find something
you're drawn to, something you can't stop thinking about.
Enjoy it. Play. I'm a big proponent of owning pieces that you
cannot wait to wear. I go in waves of wearing things day and
night, like this antique cocktail ring I bought recently," she
says, flashing one hand. "You want to find something that
speaks to you in a slightly eccentric way.
Over the
years, Spade's personal style has stayed a steady course. "Did
I ever have a Madonna phase in high school?" she asks
rhetorically. "No, overall my style has always been the same,"
she says. "Some would call it classic, but when I find a piece
I adore it doesn't really matter how I would classify it. I'm
not too interested in the super basic or the super flamboyant,
though; I play with both in a subtle way." And she is not at
all interested in following the day's hot trend. Take these
ubiquitous chunky-heeled shoes, for example. "I don't care if
that trend goes on into eternity," she says."I will not do
those shoes."
Who are
Spade's style heroines? She cites two women who until now have
never been mentioned in the same breath: actress Katherine
Hepburn and Icelandic singer Björk. "Hepburn found a look and
stuck with it,"she says. "She has always seemed comfortable in
her own skin, and she managed to wear man-tailored clothing in
a sexy way. Björk is kind of the opposite. She takes greater
risks, and her style is more cutting-edge, but at the same
time she's playing with fashion like Hepburn; she's dressing
up.
Spade also
appreciates the comfortable, pulled-together look of the
average woman on the streets of Paris. "Parisians tend to use
a lot of elements, but it all really works. It's not over
thought. If you really think about it too much, the look can
become stiff." And yet the designer understands the importance
of paring down the elements at times. "I adore coats, the kind
you can wear indoors or out. If I'm having a frumpy day, I
grab my favorite little trench coat, and I pull it on over a
simple skirt or sweater. I wrap myself up in it and wear it
all day. It's a great look," she exults. "I'm wearing it right
now." |
