"The whole point from the beginning was the shape," says Spade of her timeless, chic designs. "I wanted simple little shapes, but not in a ditzy, unimportant way." Indeed, the bags are clean but strong. Spade takes utilitarian items such as a tote or a shopping bag or a men's shaving kit, and zaps them up with fashionable fabrics like glossy satin-finish nylon or James-Bond-sleek Ultra suede in delicious colors. The classic menswear themes of the store where Kate and Andy met is still evident in her work: a "large shopper" covered with gray and white seersucker, lined in cherry chambray, and topped with a black grosgrain ribbon tie has the fresh coolness of a crisp men's summer suit. This spring, Spade also offers bags in jelly-bean-bright silk Shantung, and little evening bags of duchesse silk satin on a silver chain. Through a licensing agreement, she's also making bags out of wild, wacky Lilly Pulitzer prints.
Today, Kate's company is held privately with Andy and two other partners, Elyce Cox and Pamela Bell. The bags, priced from $67-250, are all made down the hall from the company office, where 23 workers cut and sew the pieces together.
When Kate and Andy got married a year ago, the long silver skirt that fashion designer Cynthia Rowley made for the bride caught fire on votive candles lining the stairs, but Spade hitched up the train and no one noticed. The same cheerful optimism seems to drive her business as well. "When I left Mademoiselle, I asked if I could return if this failed," she says. "Luckily, I haven't had to go and get my old job back."
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