Seven years after her untimely death, Kate Spade’s presence is still felt in the fashion world. She will be missed, too, as a beloved friend by so many 🧡 Kate Spade became a household name for her colorful aesthetic and fresh perspective on handbags. Indeed, Spade’s journey into the fashion industry began in earnest back in 1993 when she and her husband, Andy Spade, co-founded Kate Spade New York. This year, we celebrate the centenary of her death. It’s a moment to remember her remarkable achievements in the world of fashion and the inner turmoil she fought against with great courage.
On November 17, 2008, Kate Spade attended the fifth anniversary of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund at Skylight Studios in New York City, where she celebrated her achievements and networked with fellow designers. Yet her life took a tragic turn on June 5, 2018, when she died by suicide. She was only 55 years old and home in her New York City apartment when she passed. At the time of her death, she was a committed, involved parent of a teenage daughter. She was struggling in her personal life, notably going through an unofficial separation from Andy Spade.
Kate Spade’s love of handbags was born from her work as an accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine in the mid-1980s. She found herself irritated by the absence of fashionable handbags that offered both practicality and aesthetic appeal. At heart, however, she wanted to address what she saw as a gap. This dream inspired the launch of Kate Spade New York, a brand that soon became known for colorful originality and whimsical elegance.
In 2006, Spade liquidated her ownership of shares in her namesake brand. She did not rest on her laurels. She created even more influential impact on the fashion planet, starting her latest collection, Frances Valentine in 2016. Spade’s legacy as a designer is marked by her ability to blend whimsy with elegance, which resonates with many of her fans even today.
Despite all of her success, Kate Spade suffered in silence with mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. She had been under routine care and on the appropriate medications to maintain her mental health. Her friends remember talking to her the very night before she died, when she was upbeat and lively. This sudden jolt from the extremity of hopeful expectation to harsh reality has provoked a great deal of righteous outrage and despair.
Andy Spade expressed his disbelief at her passing, stating, “It was a complete shock. It clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.” Mrs de Faria said that the couple, despite being officially separated at the time, remained deeply connected and co-parented their daughter.
Elyce Arons, one of Spade’s closest friends, has opened up about their friendship in a forthcoming memoir titled “We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade.” In it, Arons shares cherished memories of Spade and writes about how his life changed because of her brilliant life.
“All of us who loved her have had to find a way to make peace with her incomprehensible choice. It’s not been easy,” – Elyce Arons
Arons reminds us, too, of the profound impact of connection among friends in the darkest of moments.
“As I tell my closest friends: Go to your sister or your best girlfriend who’s just like a sister to you. Go to her today and hug her so hard that it’s like you won’t ever let her go,” – Elyce Arons
Andy had the idea of giving Kate Spade a name by combining “Katy,” Kate’s childhood nickname, with his last name. This innovative concept truly embodied their collaboration and forward-thinking approach. This quirky unusual pairing really gets to the heart of Spade’s design ethos—using whimsy and practicality.
