Kate Spade New York facts for kids
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Kate Spade store on Regent Street
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | January 1993 in Kansas City, MO, U.S. |
| Founders | Andy Spade Kate Spade |
| Headquarters | New York City, U.S. |
| Products |
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| Parent | Tapestry, Inc. |
Kate Spade New York is an American fashion company. It was started in January 1993 by Kate and Andy Spade. This company is known for its stylish handbags and other accessories. In 2017, a larger company called Tapestry, Inc. bought Kate Spade New York.
Contents
The Story of Kate Spade New York
How Kate Spade Started Her Journey
Katherine Noel Brosnahan, who later became known as Kate Spade, was born in 1962 in Kansas City, Missouri. She went to high school there and later moved to Arizona for college. In 1985, she graduated from Arizona State University. This is where she met her future husband, Andy Spade. Kate studied journalism, and Andy studied architecture.
In 1986, after college, Kate and Andy moved to New York City. Kate worked as a style editor for Mademoiselle magazine. She focused on accessories. In 1991, she left her job to create her own line of handbags. To get ideas, Kate looked at flea markets and old stores. She also learned about different styles, fabrics, and how much it would cost to make bags.
Building the Brand: Early Days
Kate Spade New York officially began in 1993. It was founded by Katherine Noel Brosnahan and her husband, Andy Spade. Andy suggested that Kate start her own handbag business. She had worked at Mademoiselle for six years and was looking for her next step.
The very first product was a handbag called the "Sam." Andy helped fund the first bags. Kate's first collection featured classic shapes, bright colors, and interesting fabrics. Her bags became famous for their square shape and a small black label that said "Kate Spade New York." At first, her main customers were people from the upper middle class.
In 1996, the company opened its first store in New York City's SoHo area. Kate Spade New York quickly became popular. By 1998, the company's sales reached $27 million. In 1999, a company called Neiman Marcus Group bought a big part of Kate Spade. They later bought the rest of the company in 2006.
Growing Bigger: Later Years
In 2004, Kate Spade had only 13 stores in the United States. They mainly sold handbags at first. But soon, they started selling many other things. This included stationery, shoes, beauty products, perfume, and even clothing. Now, you can find their clothes and handbags in stores all over the United States. Their products are also shipped to many countries around the world.
By 2004, Kate Spade & Co. was a very successful company. Kate and Andy changed simple black bags into creative, personalized purses. They also started making items for the home, like bedding.
In 2006, a large clothing company called Liz Claiborne Inc. bought Kate Spade. After this, Liz Claiborne took over running the company. Kate Spade also opened special outlet stores. These stores offer Kate Spade New York handbags, clothes, and jewelry at lower prices. You can also find Kate Spade products in big department stores like Nordstrom, Macy's, and Dillard's. Some home products are sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond. In 2017, Kate Spade New York even launched a special collection with Williams Sonoma. This collection included dinnerware, glasses, and silverware.
In July 2017, Tapestry, Inc. bought Kate Spade & Company for $2.4 billion.
What Kate Spade New York Sells
Popular Products
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Kate Spade's first handbag was sold in January 1993. Soon after, they added new items like glasses, jewelry, and other small accessories. In 2007, they launched "kate spade at home." This brand offers bedding, bath items, dishes, and wallpaper for your home.
In April 2013, Kate Spade New York released a new perfume called Live Colorfully. This perfume celebrated the brand's 20th anniversary. Each Kate Spade product comes with a special card. This card tells the story of Kate and Andy's journey to success.
Kate Spade New York is a well-known brand that competes with other fashion companies like Michael Kors.
Jack Spade: The Men's Brand
Jack Spade was a brand made for men, created by the same company as Kate Spade. It had its own look, website, and stores. For many years, Jack Spade focused on men's accessories. It was best known for its bags. But it also made wallets, passport holders, phone cases, clothes, watches, and tech items. The stores were designed to look modern and masculine.
Bags for Men
Jack Spade bags were designed specifically for men. You could easily spot a Jack Spade bag by its label. The original bags had a black cloth label sewn onto a corner. It said "Jack Spade, Warren Street, New York." Newer bags might have "Jack Spade" stamped into the material or on a leather patch. Inside every Jack Spade bag, there was a cloth patch for the owner to write their name.
Jack Spade bags were named by series. For example, a popular item was the Wayne duffel bag. It was made in new materials each season.
Messenger Bags
Jack Spade was famous for its many types of messenger bags. These were often single-compartment leather bags. They closed with a flap and two snaps.
Duffel Bags
Jack Spade's duffel bags for men were very popular. Series like "Wayne" and "Nolan" were always available. The Wayne duffel came in different materials like leather, nylon, and canvas. It had a roomy inside, metal feet on the bottom, and a shoulder strap that you could remove.
Coal Bags
Jack Spade got the idea for its "coal bags" from bags that engineers used to carry coal in the 1920s. They made large tote bags for men from strong industrial canvas. Over the years, these coal bags were updated. They sometimes had bright colors or were made from leather, suede, or nylon.
For their 20th Anniversary, a special Coal Bag was made. It was designed from aged canvas with "JACK" written down the side. These bags came in aged blue with a white outline or beige with an orange outline.
The End of Jack Spade Stores
All Jack Spade stores closed permanently in January 2015. This happened after Tapestry (which used to be Coach Group) bought Kate Spade. After the stores closed, the labels on the bags changed from "Jack Spade, Warren Street, New York" to just "Jack Spade" or "Jack Spade, New York." Famous store locations included one in Los Angeles and the main store on Warren Street in New York City.
Jack Spade's separate website for online shopping also closed in mid-2017. Its products then became a small section called "Gifts for him" on the Kate Spade website. Some Jack Spade products were sold on Amazon in 2017. However, by June 2018, Amazon stopped selling new Jack Spade items.
