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Kate Spade biography

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  • Originally: Katherine Noel Brosnahan
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Fashion designer Kate Spade launched her own line of handbags. He company has grown to include several retail outlets and a wider range of categories.

Synopsis

Kate Spade was born December 24, 1962 in Kansas City, Missouri. She launched her own line of handbags in 1993. The company grew to include several retail outlets as well as selling their products through high-end stores. Kate Spade now offers products in a range of categories. While she sold the business to the Neiman Marcus Group in 1999, she has remained active within the brand.

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Fashion designer. Born Katherine Noel Brosnahan in 1962 in Kansas City, Missouri. Once famous for creating her trademark black nylon bags, Kate Spade has built an international accessories business as well as branching out into new markets, such as stationery. After graduating from Arizona State University in 1986, Kate Spade made her way to New York City to work for Mademoiselle magazine. She spent five years there, eventually becoming a senior fashion editor and head of accessories. Spade left in 1991.

Kate Spade put her knowledge and interest in accessories to work, launching her own line of handbags in 1993. Her husband, Andy Spade, has served as her partner, and, over the years, their business has blossomed. The company grew to include several retail outlets as well as selling their products through such high-end stores as Bloomingdale??s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus. Kate Spade now offers products in a range of categories from eyewear to shoes to paper goods. While they sold the business to the Neiman Marcus Group in 1999, the Spades have remained active forces within the brand they built.

In 2004, Kate Spade shared her personal style and philosophies in her three books: Manners, Occasions, and Style. That same year rumors swirled around about possible martial discord between Kate and Andy Spade, but the couple dismissed these stories. Kate and Andy Spade welcomed their first child, Frances Beatrix Spade, in February 2005. The next year the couple invested in Plum TV, a small television network that broadcasts in the elite vacation spots: the Hamptons, Nantucket, and Martha??s Vineyard.

© 2012 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.

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