Kate Spade

Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan Spade was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. She was best known as the co-founder and co-owner of the designer brand Kate Spade New York. Born Katherine Noel Brosnahan in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 24, 1962, she was the daughter of June and Francis Brosnahan.

After graduating from St. Teresa's Academy, Spade attended the University of Kansas before transferring to Arizona State University. She joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and graduated with a journalism degree in 1985. While in college, she worked in sales at Carter's Men Shop in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met her future husband and business partner, Andy Spade.

By 1986, Spade moved to Manhattan and worked in the accessories department at Mademoiselle magazine, eventually rising to senior fashion editor and head of accessories. Noticing a lack of stylish, sensible, and affordable handbags on the market, she left the magazine in 1991. In January 1993, she co-founded Kate Spade New York alongside Andy Spade, Elyce Arons, and Pamela Bell.

The company's handbags quickly became popular, particularly in New York, leading to the opening of its first boutique in Manhattan's SoHo district in 1996. The brand eventually expanded into clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, fragrances, baby items, and a home collection called Kate Spade at Home. Spade also launched brand extensions including Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday. In 1999, she sold a majority stake in the business to Neiman Marcus Group, followed by her remaining shares in 2006.

In addition to her design work, Spade authored three books titled Manners, Occasions, and Style. After taking time off to focus on her family, she returned to fashion in 2016 to co-found the luxury footwear and handbag brand Frances Valentine. She later legally changed her full name to include Valentine.

Spade married Andy Spade in 1994, and the couple had one daughter in 2005. Throughout her career, Spade received multiple honors, including awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1996 and 1998, three home design awards in 2004, and an induction into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management in 2017. Spade died in her Manhattan apartment on June 5, 2018.