NICHE style Summer 2016

KATE
SPADE
by Jennifer Costanzo | fashion columnist
B
orn Katherine Noel Brosnahan on
December 24, 1962 in Kansas City,
Missouri. Kate attended the University
of Kansas, then transferred and
graduated from Arizona State University, with
a degree in journalism. Spade met her future
husband, Andy Spade, in Arizona where they
worked together at a men’s clothing boutique.
Kate Spade was interested in writing and followed
her dreams of journalism when she moved
to Manhattan to work for a fashion magazine
called Mademoiselle in 1986. Spade worked
her way up in the magazine, finally becoming
senior fashion editor and head of accessories
at Mademoiselle. It was at the magazine where
Spade realized her calling, into accessory design.
Spade left the magazine in 1991 to pursue her
dream to create her own handbag, due to the
lack of stylish and sensible handbags at the time.
Working with accessories at Mademoiselle, gave
Spade an extra edge through her knowledge and
interest in handbags. Spade set out to design
the perfect purse and in 1993 she launched her
own line of handbags. The line debuted with
just six silhouettes with which she combined
sleek, utilitarian shapes and colourful palettes
in an entirely new way that was also stylish.
WWW.NICHE.STYLE
47