Kate Spade explains why fashion magazine editors initially took notice of her early handbag designs compared to other contemporary designers.
Insight
Kate Spade: Giving up a salary creates essential founder scrappiness
“The truth is, you would never have done it had you stayed, because I wouldn't have been as scrappy or as, I mean, it was kind of, you know, do or die, so I think if I had still been working, I would have been like, ah, a little bit more lackadaisical about it,…”
Opinion
Kate Spade found early 1990s designer handbags too complicated and over-designed
“At the time, things were very, bags were too complicated, and I really loved very simple kind of architectural shapes, and I would wear these very simple shapes, none of which were famous designers.”
What-if
Kate Spade says keeping her magazine job would have prevented brand success
“The truth is, you would never have done it had you stayed, because I wouldn't have been as scrappy or as, I mean, it was kind of, you know, do or die, so I think if I'd still been working, I would have been like, ah, a little bit more lackadaisical about it, w…”
Insight
Kate Spade viewed street corner counterfeit knockoffs as a compliment of success
“Which Andy said, that's actually a compliment. He said, you know, you're doing something right when they're on every blanket on every street corner.”
Insight
Kate Spade chose clean exit to avoid ugly post-acquisition founder lawsuits
“You've heard so many horror stories about people who sell, and then they stay, and then they fight, and then they sue, and I just thought, oh, that's too ugly for me.”
Assertion Supported
Kate Spade's debut collection was made from potato sack burlap
“I looked in the yellow pages, and I looked up burlap, and I found a potato sack company that was willing to sell to me. And they had three different, you know, weights, and I needed the heaviest weight so that it was, you know, substantial enough for a handbag…”