Kate and Andy to leave Kate Spade
Posted: 8/4/07
Last week, Kate and Andy Spade released the fact that they would be leaving the label they built from the ground up - Kate as head designer and Andy as CEO. The company, now owned by Liz Claiborne (bought for $124 million…wowzas), focuses on “affordable luxury,” mostly handbags that dazzle at a reachable price (though the brand has now expanded to include items for the home and baby accessories…yawn).
It kind of makes me sad. If there’s no Spade, can you still call a spade a spade? What? That was confusing. Seriously though, despite the fact that most name designers never actually touch their creations, that doesn’t make it right. What a depressing trend in this world of celebrity-fronted, in-name-only fashion conglomerates. Blech.
In honor of the accessory/business master, scoot on over to Katespade.com to see the last collection.
I totally agree. I am a little old-fashioned perhaps, or maybe it is just that I live South of the Equator. It is such a disgrace that most “designers” are not involved at all in the process of what they supposedly “design”. Most of them are designers in name only. Not all though. There are some lesser known ones that show to have pride in their creations and are truly involved. I could name a few, mostly international designers: Amy Butler, Missair (although a little too futuristic for my taste), Marcela Calvet (expensive yes but arm-candy for sure), Monica Poole, Katherine Falco, and the list goes on and on. My point is that when a designer is not involved in what he/she makes, then isn’t that called cheating? Of course, they think we are bubbleheads and besides, not all of us care to see the latest celebrity carrying a bag made by a well known brand whose actual designer is not one person but maybe 15 people. Those are my thoughts anyway from this mad for bags aussie.
8/17/07 at 11:24 pmExactly! It’s like “cheating.”
8/22/07 at 9:34 pm