Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan Spade, born Katherine Noel Brosnahan on December 24, 1962, was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. She co-founded and co-owned the designer brand Kate Spade New York.
Here is the information presented in a clear tabular format:
Profile Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kate Spade |
| Birth Name | Katherine Noel Brosnahan |
| Date of Birth | December 24, 1962 |
| Place of Birth | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Date of Death | June 5, 2018 (aged 55) |
| Place of Death | New York City, U.S. |
| Burial Place | Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Other Name | Kate Valentine |
Education & Career
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Education | University of Kansas; Arizona State University |
| Occupations | Fashion Designer; Businesswoman |
| Years Active | 1983–2018 |
| Known For | Kate Spade New York; Frances Valentine |
Family Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Andy Spade (m. 1994) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Rachel Brosnahan (niece) |
Age
Katherine Noel Brosnahan was born on December 24, 1962, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Early life & Biography
Spade was born Katherine Noel Brosnahan in Kansas City, Missouri, to June Mullen and Francis Brosnahan, who owned a road-construction company. She was mostly of Irish descent. After graduating from St. Teresa’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school, she attended the University of Kansas before transferring to Arizona State University. She joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and earned a journalism degree in 1985, planning to work in television production. While in college, she worked in sales at Carter’s Men Shop in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Andy Spade, who would later become her husband and business partner.
Personal life
Spade married Andy Spade, the brother of actor and comedian David Spade, in 1994. Although they were not legally separated, the couple had started living apart a few months before her death. Kate Spade’s friend and former business partner, Elyce Arons, published a memoir titled We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship With Kate Spade. In the book, Arons shares that Spade and Andy, though separated, were “trying to work things out” before her death in 2018. Their separation, which lasted about ten months, was not final.
The couple had one child, a daughter, born in 2005.
Spade’s niece is actress Rachel Brosnahan.
On April 11, 2002, Spade appeared as herself in the “Blush Gets Some Therapy” episode of Just Shoot Me! (season six, episode nineteen), alongside her brother-in-law David Spade.
Awards
In 1996, the Council of Fashion Designers of America gave Spade the “America’s New Fashion Talent in Accessories” award for her classic designs. She was honored again as “Best Accessory Designer of the Year” in 1998.
In 2004, her home collection earned three design awards: House Beautiful’s “Giants of Design Award for Tastemaker,” Bon Appétit’s “American Food and Entertaining Award for Designer of the Year,” and Elle Decor’s “Elle Decor International Design Award for Bedding.”
In 2017, she was inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri, Kansas City.
That same year, Fast Company named her one of the Most Creative People in Business.
Career
By 1986, the couple had moved to Manhattan. Kate worked in the accessories department at Mademoiselle and left in 1991 as senior fashion editor and head of accessories.[7] While there, she noticed a lack of stylish, affordable, and practical handbags, which inspired her to create her own.
Kate Spade New York
Kate and Andy co-founded Kate Spade New York with Elyce Arons and Pamela Bell in January 1993. At first, Spade was unsure about the brand’s name since she and Andy were not yet married, and “Kate Brosnahan” did not seem right for a fashion label. She considered several options before agreeing to “Kate Spade” after Andy suggested it, knowing she would take his last name after their marriage.
Spade created six prototypes using Scotch tape and paper, then found a manufacturer in East New York willing to work with their startup. To fund the company, Andy, who had been a copywriter, withdrew his 401(k) and sometimes paid employees with personal checks. During shipping season, the couple stayed at friends’ apartments because their own was filled with boxes of handbags.
After an early show at the Javits Center, where Barneys ordered a few bags, Spade decided to place the labels on the outside of the bags. This change, which took her all night to make, helped establish the brand.
The bags, which cost between $150 and $450, quickly became popular, especially in New York. Fern Mallis, director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in the 1990s, called it “a real shift” in fashion. “Everybody had Kate Spade bags. You could afford them, and happily buy more than one.”
The company started by selling only handbags, but soon expanded to clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, eyewear, baby items, fragrances, and gifts. In 1996, Kate Spade opened its first boutique, a 400-square-foot shop in Manhattan’s SoHo district, and moved its headquarters to a 10,000-square-foot space on West 25th Street.
Death
On June 5, 2018, a housekeeper found Spade dead in her Manhattan apartment. Her death was ruled a suicide by hanging. Police said she had left a note addressed to her daughter.
