To Kate Spade With Love: Our Editors Share Their Most Cherished Items From the Designer

Credit: Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

To Kate Spade With Love: Our Editors Share Their Most Cherished Items From the Designer

Kate Spade launched a New York-based company, Kate Spade Handbags, in January 1993 with her husband Andy Spade. And over the years the company has expanded from handbags to clothing TO shoes, jewelry, fragrances, stationery, eyewear and baby products. The brand even launched a home collection, selling a variety of items such as bedding, china, and bath. Eventually, in the late ‘00s Kate sold the company and it has bounced around from Neiman Marcus to Liz Claiborne to its current owner, Coach Inc since 2017 — but it’s still stayed in favor with the fashion elite thanks to its whimsical vibe. And those fans include our editors here at Us Weekly. Today the brand still produces amazing quality items with that playful charm we all love. There have even been adorable collaborations with other brands like Kids and Disney. In light of the unexpected news of her passing on Tuesday, June 5, we rounded up some of our editors’ favorite Kate Spade goods to honor her memory and the mark her functional feminine designs have had on style. Scroll down to relive moments with our editors’ as they recall their first Kate Spade purchases, their favorite pieces and the best gifts. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Credit: Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

To Kate Spade With Love: Our Editors Share Their Most Cherished Items From the Designer

Kate Spade launched a New York-based company, Kate Spade Handbags, in January 1993 with her husband Andy Spade. And over the years the company has expanded from handbags to clothing TO shoes, jewelry, fragrances, stationery, eyewear and baby products. The brand even launched a home collection, selling a variety of items such as bedding, china, and bath. Eventually, in the late ‘00s Kate sold the company and it has bounced around from Neiman Marcus to Liz Claiborne to its current owner, Coach Inc since 2017 — but it’s still stayed in favor with the fashion elite thanks to its whimsical vibe. And those fans include our editors here at Us Weekly. Today the brand still produces amazing quality items with that playful charm we all love. There have even been adorable collaborations with other brands like Kids and Disney. In light of the unexpected news of her passing on Tuesday, June 5, we rounded up some of our editors’ favorite Kate Spade goods to honor her memory and the mark her functional feminine designs have had on style. Scroll down to relive moments with our editors’ as they recall their first Kate Spade purchases, their favorite pieces and the best gifts. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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Classic Black Nylon Diaper Bag

I’ll never forget the day I bought my first Kate Spade bag. It was the summer going into my freshman year of college. All summer, I saved money from lifeguarding to buy my dream “backpack” for my first day of university: a black canvas Kate Spade tote bag. I’ll never forget the day I bought it (and I actually think it was her diaper bag!). It was the first nice thing I ever purchased for myself with my own money. I walked into Bloomingdale’s with an envelope of cash and skipped back to my car with that big brown paper shopping bag. That Kate Spade bag lasted me all four years of college and I smiled every time I threw it on my shoulder. I still have it, and it reminds me of so much every time I look at it. It may be time to bring that bag out again!

- Jennifer Peros, Editor in Chief

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Watson Lane Hartley Backpack

I’ve been wearing Kate Spade bags since I was in my teens. Most recently, I’ve been using my Kate Spade nylon black backpack for commuting. It’s super lightweight, plus it frees up my hands to read a book or scroll through social media. It’s simple and classy, just like her entire collection always is.

 - Mandie DeCamp, Co-Executive Producer, Video

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Kate Spade Beauty Eau de Parfum

The year was 2003 and this was Kate Spade’s entry into the fragrance (and beauty!) world. I remember meeting Kate, in all her Holly Golightly fabulousness, at the launch. I remember Kate and all the flowers, hundreds and hundreds of heady white flowers like jasmine, gardenia and tuberose — the building blocks of the scent. I’m never drawn to floral fragrances, but thanks to the overall vibe of the brand, this one smelled like sparkles and freedom. I instantly loved it! 

- Gwen Flamberg, Beauty Director

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Pave Bridesmaid Idiom Bangle

My sister-in-law gifted this simple but elegant Kate Spade bangle to each of her bridesmaids ahead of her wedding to my brother. It’s engraved with different phrases and I wear it quite often, not only for sentimental purposes, but because it pairs perfectly with a lot of different looks. It’s very understated and classic, which is the epitome of the Kate Spade brand in my eyes.

- Sharon Tharp, Senior Editor

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Kate Spade Stud Earrings

While I coveted the Sam bag all through middle school and high school, my first Kate Spade purchase was a pair of her crystal earrings in a citrine-like stone that I wore religiously until one fell out on the school bus on my way home and I wasn’t able to find it. They made me feel so special and “fancy.”

- Meg Storm, Beauty and Style Editor

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Cameron Street Stacy Wallet

I hate wallets with a zipper because I find them too bulky and when I need my money or cards, I’d like to access it easily. And the snap closure on this wallet is exactly the reason why I love it — I can grab my cards even when the wallet is snapped shut! And that’s what makes Kate Spade so timeless. The leather and materials used in all of her products are so durable, that they will last you forever.

- Sophie Dweck, Editorial Assistant

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Watson Lane Betty

I’ve always admired Kate Spade’s classic-with-a-touch-of-whimsical-charm vibe. Recently, I was gifted the Watson Lane Betty bag and I love how roomy and durable it is. Fanny packs are having a big moment right now — so not only is it stylish, it’s easy to throw in a few necessities and go.

- Christina Baez, Stylish Producer

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Vintage Purse

It was my first designer bag — I felt hip wearing it. I was still in high school, I believe. It was also the perfect size — not too big/clunky, and big enough for my wallet, beeper and lipstick.

- Leanne Aciz-Stanton, Writer