The two kicked around the idea of launching another accessories line, but the timing was never right. Spade kept in touch with her colleagues, including her former design director Paola Venturi, who had left the company and eventually went to Prada. But I felt like for me, this was the way to do it.” Valentina suede sandals, $450, “Every woman makes the decision that’s right for her.

“Some people can make it work beautifully,” she says of balancing the demands of a 24/7 job and motherhood. People would be lined up to see me and I’d be like, ‘I’ll be right back, it’s time for her to eat!’” Spade relished it all, but knew she needed a change of pace. “After my daughter was born, I would have meetings up in my living room. Previously, there had been little time for sleep, let alone lacing up her sneakers. “Let’s be honest, I started to work out! It was a great time, and I loved it,” Spade says of her break from fashion. She also found time to recharge her batteries, get involved with charities, and just live her life. My daughter was at that age where I thought, ‘I cannot miss out on this.’ She’s starting to understand if you’re there or not, and I thought: ‘I want to be there.’”įor the next eight years, Spade focused her energy on raising her daughter, Frances Beatrix, who is now 11 years old. “I’d reached that point, where it had nothing to do with the design, it was a conflict of time. By 2006, a little more than a decade after its debut, the brand was reportedly worth $100 million.Īnd then in 2007, Spade turned over the reigns of the company to Liz Claiborne Inc., and formally stepped down from the namesake brand she had built from the ground up. Spade eventually expanded her empire to include such goods as shoes, clothing and fragrance, while steadily opening retail stores along the way. Department stores soon swooped in to pick up the brand, and Spade’s creations become the definition of “it-bags,” seen on the arms of everyone including celebrities like Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow. Spade’s pared-down designs featured one discrete yet instantly recognizable embellishment: a tiny “kate spade new york” label, stitched on the outside. That’s all I want.’” Small Charlie tote, $525

“I was like, ‘No, I just want this really chic, square black bag. “In the early ‘90s, everything was frills and bells and whistles,” she says. Spade says her inspiration to start the line came from not being able to find the kind of bag she wanted to carry. Sales jumped from $40,000 in her first year to $1.2 million three years later. Spade’s perfectly sleek totes-and later messenger bags and mini backpacks-were such a hit that they skyrocketed her brand to success, becoming the foundation of a multi million-dollar company. “‘Five hundred dollars is not that much!’”

“But then, Andy looked at me and said, ‘Katie, it’s the webbing that’s going on every single one of your bags,’” says Spade. Her business partner and boyfriend (later husband) Andy Spade had also drained his savings account, but otherwise, the couple hadn’t borrowed “a dime, not even a nickel” from outside investors. Money was tight-Spade had left her job as an editor at Mademoiselle and cashed in her 401(k) to fund her fledgling label. Before launching her generation-defining accessories and lifestyle line in 1993, the Kansas City native remembers agonizing over whether or not to spend $500 on webbing material for her first black nylon handbags. “I love what I do, but I’m not a big risk taker,” says designer Kate Spade. Here, Spade talks about the importance of collaborating with those you trust, taking calculated risks and staying relevant in a changing industry. Now, she’s back with a new venture: Frances Valentine, an accessory line that’s already taking off and breaking expectations. The New York fashion designer started out with an idea for a simple black handbag-and then spun that into an iconic, multimillion-dollar brand. Now she’s back with a new line and a new perspective. After climbing to the top, Kate Spade took a break from the fashion world.

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