If you are an avid reader of Royally Pink and a follower of mine on social media (@bribrilukes on Twitter & Instagram), you know of my obsession with Kate Spade. It is my favorite brand of all time and I am constantly inspired by the beautiful, feminine designs and the brand truly brings so much joy to my life.
Everyone in my life is well aware of that love, including my co-workers and boss. That's why when my boss was invited to a Fashion Week panel that was presented by Women's Wear Daily and would feature the CEO and Creative Director of Kate Spade.
Well, when she told me that I nearly cried (mostly because I thought that it was the actual fashion show but I'll take anything Kate Spade featured during NYFW).
I attended the panel with another co-worker on Friday and it was really cool because it was held at the Samsung 837 pop up that had a bunch of other stations inside it, aside from the panel.
It started at 2 PM and we were able to get seats in the 2nd row, after waiting for a few minutes, and it was really surreal to be there with so many other fashion lovers.
The panel started off with watching the Spring 2019 Presentation from earlier that morning and it was amazing. The colors for Spring are bright, bold, yet true to the Kate Spade heritage.
Something I want to note is that you may be able to see the glitter trail on the floor of the 'runway' in my photos below. Nicola said that one of the most notable sayings that people shared when Kate died was "She leaves a little bit of sparkle wherever she goes" and that is why they chose to put that sparkle trail in the show.
They also left a card with that saying on everyone's chair at the show. When she explained this, I instantly got the chills and started to tear up. It's happening again as I write this!
Afterward, the Editorial Director of WWD, and the Kate Spade team came out to start the panel. They talked about everything from the inspiration behind the collection, how they feel about the digital age and social media, and how they are going to honor Kate Spade since her tragic passing.
Nicola Glass explained a few new things that you will see in the Spring 2019 collection and beyond.
- There is a new take on the spade, to pay tribute to the heritage of the brand. It resembles a spade and interlocking heart
- The hardware is a little chunkier on some of the bags which makes a statement in itself
- The Nicola Bag is the hero product of the Spring collection, and the color-blocked bag represents Nicola and her identical twin sister.
- The new Spade is present on all the new bags, especially the bucket bag in black, green and yellow (above) that is entirely made up of this new Spade
- When the panel host asked who the Kate Spade customer was, Nicola put it best; "The Kate Spade customer is in love with life and has a sense of purpose. She is a mindset, not a demographic". It just hit me right in the feels.
A few tidbits that I already knew but might be news to the casual Kate Spade consumer:
- Kate Spade donated $1 million to mental health causes after Kate Spade's death. They did a matching program in stores where if people donated, they matched the amount. They ended up raising about 150K and matched that.
- They instituted a mental health program in their office to help promote a healthier, less stressful mindset.
- Kate Spade uses sustainable materials in their products, something they don't promote too often
- If you've ever seen their On Purpose line, you know that they have women in Rwanda make a collection every season to help these women live a better life
I'm such a digital nerd so it was interesting to hear the CEO talk about their approach. The fastest growing platform for them is Youtube and she said that they think they do digital and social so well because, at the core, the brand is naturally a storyteller. I think that is SO true because Kate Spade does have such a clear identity of telling a story, whether it's through a fun saying or a classic silhouette.
It was so surreal to be in the same room as the women who represent the Kate Spade brand and make the products that I love so much. Deborah Llyod was the Creative Director before Nicola and I've seen her speak before, and she was my favorite. Now, Nicola is at the helm and I'm so excited to see what the brand does next!
After the panel, we walked around for a bit. There were a few different beauty stations set up where you can go and get touch-ups: Becca, MAC, Bumble & Bumble and Origins. We stopped and spent some time at the Origins popup and tried out the new Cannabis infused mask coming out in a few weeks.
Hopefully, I will have more NYFW content coming up this week so make sure you're following me on Instagram!
xoxo
B
