Kate Spade is in good hands

From the art deco architecture along Shanghai's Bund to the neon lights of Tokyo's city streets, iconic Asian vistas are playing a central role in American fashion label Kate Spade New York's fall/winter 2014 collection this year.

In a phone interview from New York last month, the brand's creative director Deborah Lloyd explains that the line was inspired by travel and the accompanying sense of newness and excitement.

"I never knew, but sort of discovered that it was known as the Paris of the East," says the 50-year-old British designer, on visiting Shanghai last year. "I was taking pictures of the place, which totally inspired the pieces and the colours."

Quirky items such as a birdcage handbag and a fan-shaped clutch are part of the collection, which is now in stores. Items range from $100 for a card case to $1,300 for a coat.

Kate Spade, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, is also exploring new territory with the growth of the company. The brand, which has more than 300 stores worldwide, recorded US$742 million (S$946 million) in sales last year.

Chief executive officer Craig Leavitt expressed ambitions of eventually growing the lifestyle brand into a US$4 billion empire, according to a Women's Wear Daily report earlier this year.

Kate Spade also became the only remaining brand under its parent company, Fifth & Pacific, which sold its other fashion lines, such as Juicy Couture and Lucky Brand Jeans, and was renamed Kate Spade & Co. in February.

"We're growing but, gradually, as the right stores and locations arrive on our doorstop," says Lloyd, indicating that it is not about opening a specific number of outlets but the right kind of store.

There are currently three Kate Spade stores in Singapore at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Raffles City and Ion Orchard.

The brand declined to reveal any sales or growth figures here, but said it plans to open a store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands next year.

"In business terms, yes, we're the name of the company; but, for us, the focus is the same. Our girl is a strong girl with a point of view. She's quick, curious and playful. She wants to stand out in a crowd."

Though the "Kate Spade woman" Lloyd designs for remains a constant, the designer has been ushering in new product categories since her arrival at the brand in 2007. She replaced the namesake founder, who parted ways with the brand.

EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND

In 2009, Kate Spade first started to offer ready-to-wear in the same bright colours and peppy spirit of the bags that the brand first built its name on.

While Lloyd declines to reveal how much each category contributes in terms of sales, she explains that ready-to-wear helped define the overall Kate Spade look.

"I think part of the success of the brand comes from people finally seeing what the Kate Spade girl looks like. It wasn't just about the accessories, but the total look and feel."

Jewellery and watches were also added to the brand, and this year in the United States, the label launched swimwear and kidswear as well.

"We'll evolve with the times and our girl, whether it's what she's wearing, tech, in her home, on vacation or getting married. We're trying to look after every aspect of her life."

This desire to cover all bases extends to their customer base as well.

In March last year, the brand launched a sister label, Kate Spade Saturday, which targets a younger audience.

The first Kate Spade Saturday store in Singapore opened in October last year in Ion Orchard, followed quickly by another two locations in Westgate and Takashimaya Shopping Centre. The brand declined to disclose how well the line is doing here in terms of specific sales.

"We felt there were some girls who wanted to live the Kate Spade lifestyle but weren't quite ready for it," she says.

"There were several girls who worked in our offices on one floor and they were all very much Brooklynites and trendy and they became the Kate Spade Saturday girl the way New Yorkers became the Kate Spade girl."

Whether it is Kate Spade, Kate Spade Saturday or Jack Spade - the brand's men's line - it looks to be in good hands with Lloyd.

Formerly the executive vice-president of design and product development at American brand Banana Republic, the designer was also previously at British designer label Burberry, where she received several British Fashion Council awards for her work.

The two positions set her up "perfectly" for the head honcho job she has now, she says.

"Burberry taught me how to find the essence, the DNA of a brand and build on that for a strong point of view," says Lloyd.

"And Banana Republic really taught me about working in America and leading a team of people."

And the Kate Spade brand's aesthetic gels well with her own, says the designer, who can often be found dressed in prints or bright colours.

Going forward, Lloyd says the brand's core spirit will stay the same, even as silhouettes change.

For example in the spring/summer 2015 show, which showed in New York last month, looser shapes and slight sportswear influences made an appearance alongside the classic fit and flare dresses and fun accessories.

"We will always strive for that wit and whimsy, to be different and stand out from the crowd," she says.

"But we can't just go to the same cardigan and dress combination. We evolve with what feels modern."

llim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 3, 2014.
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