she is quick and curious and playful and strong.
she is a voracious reader and a fantastic dancer.
she saves old snapshots, but always loses her umbrella.
her emails pile up, but she never forgets to call her grandmother.
she has $7 in change at the bottom of her handbag.
When news broke on Tuesday June 5, 2018 of visionary designer Kate Spade’s passing, the fashion industry and countless fans mourned the tragic loss of a true original. Kate Spade had a preternatural gift for designing handbags, as well as apparel, shoes, and jewelry, which appealed to women of all ages. The New York Times beautifully referred to her signature handbags as symbolizing “a coming-of-age ritual” for American women: a status symbol that one could carry at every stage in their life.
Advertisements for kate spade new york were never content to settle for a shot of the product or feature a celebrity toting a bag on her shoulder. Much like the handbags Kate designed, her advertisements were a bright, bold, colorful world where anything could happen. You could cross the street with a camel, go shopping with Miss Piggy, or escape inside the pages of a good book.
Shot by British fashion photographer Tim Walker in 2006, it’s almost impossible to look at this Spring/Summer ad and not immediately yearn to be camped out in a bookstore with piles of books.
The video introduction for kate spade new york Spring 2009 is still unlike anything the fashion brand has ever produced. That’s because this particular campaign was shot on the streets of Los Angeles, bringing the Kate Spade spirit to the West Coast — along with a bright blue bugle.
What’s a Spring 2010 campaign without pretty pinwheels, anyway?
Do you know which celebrity was the first to star in an ad campaign for kate spade new york? It was actress Bryce Dallas Howard! 2011 marked the first year in the company’s then 18-year history that would feature a celebrity in Spring advertisements. While it might have been Howard’s first experience being in an advertising campaign, she revealed to WWD that she had long been a fan of the brand and connected with its lifestyle from an early age, making for a perfect collaboration together.
Pops of bright pink and retro vibes ruled the scene for kate spade new york’s Spring 2012 campaign. This was a season made for breaking the rules and looking like a truly cool girl.
New York was the star of Kate Spade’s 2013 campaigns. The city played a background role in its Spring ads photographed by Sebastian Kim and featuring models Ajek Deng and Kelly Mittendorf.
For the Fall 2013 video “Me & My Beau,” kate spade new york debuted their brightly hued 2 park avenue beau bag amidst a minute-long spot surrounded by the sights, sounds, and colors only found in the Big Apple.
Outside of print advertisements, Kate Spade dabbled in an extra-sparkly video series known as #missadventure. These episodes followed a madcap heroine (played by actress Anna Kendrick) as she spent Holiday 2014 waiting on her stoop for a locksmith to help her get into her Manhattan brownstone. Other stars have since been spotted in the #missadventure series including actresses Zosia Mamet, Anna Faris, and Rosie Perez.
For Kate Spade Spring 2015, then-93-year-old (now 96!) fashion icon Iris Apfel was recruited to star in the brand’s latest campaign. Several of her images were shot alongside supermodel Karlie Kloss, a longtime staple in Kate Spade advertisements. 2015 was a big year for bringing over-50 female faces back into the advertising spotlight, and we hope to see more of that representation in the future.
Full of sass and with an eye for high fashion, it was only a matter of time before Kate Spade recruited legendary Muppet Miss Piggy as the brand’s muse. Miss Piggy made her debut in the Holiday 2016 ads to advertise kate spade new york’s personalization program. Naturally, she also received her own sparkly handbag collection, complete with handbags, keychains, and iPhone cases.
From Morocco to Manhattan, Kate Spade’s Spring 2017 campaign included two huge stars: Chinese-Australian model Fernanda Ly and a live camel, led carefully through Midtown on a leash by Ly.
This year, Kate Spade will turn 25-years-old and actress Margaret Qualley has been tapped as the face of the brand for 2018. Elements of the Kate Spade spirit are alive and well in this campaign shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, from the signature pink “Sam” handbag to the balloons, cake sparklers, glitter, and presence of the delighted woman taking it all in. Kristen Naiman, senior vice president, brand creative at Kate Spade told WWD that the images were meant to pay tribute to the past and future of the brand and explore the happiness found in celebrating the big and small milestones in life.