On Friday, Kate Spade New York showed its first collection since the passing of its founder, who was found dead in her apartment this June, but the air was decidedly optimistic. This, one can only assume, is what Spade would have wanted — in life, she was described by her peers as exuberant, like “human champagne.”
In her first show for the brand, new creative director Nicola Glass paid tribute to Spade’s essence with cute-but-functional accessories, flowing prairie dresses, and light overcoats that looked easy but expensive. With a pastel color palette, the collection reminded me of the way the Cut’s editor-in-chief, Stella Bugbee, described the original Kate Spade store — “as fresh and unpretentious as the peonies she kept in a vintage glass vase in the window.” The ubiquitousness of “melodramatic purple” was also a fitting choice, given its unique ability to read as both somber and lighthearted.
“I remember when Kate took the market by storm — it combined simplicity and elegance,” Glass said in a statement. “Kate Spade has always been a healthy and powerful brand with a positive message of helping women express themselves through fashion.”
Over all, it was a touching but not overly dramatic homage to the late designer, who was all about the details, anyway. One might have even missed the trail of glitter, which was scattered throughout the space. A clue as to what it was for could be found in quote on everyone’s seat card: “She left a little sparkle everywhere she went.”
Watch footage from the Kate Spade runway show, below:
