Kate Spade Eyewear: "Live Colorfully," From Handbags to Sunglasses

Kate Spade built an entire fashion empire on a single frustrated moment: not being able to find the handbag she actually wanted. That practical, problem-solving instinct — paired with a genuine love of color — has carried through more than three decades of the brand's history, right down to its eyewear collection.

Six bags and a name born from indecision

Katherine Noel Brosnahan grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and worked as an accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine before setting out on her own. In January 1993, she co-founded Kate Spade New York alongside her boyfriend (and later husband) Andy Spade, along with Elyce Arons and Pamela Bell. Kate was reportedly undecided on what to call the brand, since she and Andy hadn't yet married — "Kate Brosnahan" felt like an awkward name for a fashion label. She settled on "Kate Spade" once Andy suggested it, knowing she'd eventually take his surname anyway.

The company's origin story has become something of a design legend: Spade built her first six handbag prototypes using nothing more than Scotch tape and construction paper, then found a manufacturer in East New York willing to work with an unproven startup. To finance the operation, Andy withdrew his 401(k) retirement savings, and the couple spent their earliest shipping seasons living out of friends' apartments because their own home was filled with boxed inventory. A pivotal early decision — moving the brand's label to the outside of the bag rather than hiding it inside — helped establish the sleek, sophisticated-yet-approachable look that would define the label's identity for decades.

A Manhattan moment

Kate Spade opened its first boutique in 1996, a modest 400-square-foot shop in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. The bags found an eager audience among young, style-conscious women who appreciated their sophisticated look without the intimidating price tag or formality of houses like Burberry or Louis Vuitton — one fan later described them as looking "mature, without being too adult for a teenager." Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour later recalled a period when it felt impossible to walk a single block in New York without spotting one of Spade's bags.

The brand expanded steadily beyond handbags through the following years, adding clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, fragrance, baby items, and eyewear to its lineup, while Kate herself earned recognition from the CFDA as "America's New Fashion Talent in Accessories" in 1996 and "Best Accessory Designer of the Year" in 1998.

Eyewear enters the collection: 2004

Kate Spade launched its eyewear line in 2004, translating the brand's signature blend of flirty, feminine design into sunglasses and prescription frames. The collection leaned into classic silhouettes, modern shapes, bold prints, and unexpected color combinations — an immediate hit that carried the same "anything-but-ordinary" sensibility that had already made the brand's handbags so recognizable.

A change in ownership

Kate Spade began selling down her ownership stake over the following years, parting with the remaining 44% of her shares to Neiman Marcus Group by 2006. That same year, the label was sold to Liz Claiborne Inc. for $124 million, later renamed Fifth & Pacific, before Coach, Inc. acquired the brand in May 2017 — both Coach and Kate Spade now operate under the parent company Tapestry, Inc. Following the sale, Deborah Lloyd stepped in as president and chief creative officer, continuing to expand the brand's product range while honoring its founding design codes, eventually launching clothing, jewelry, legwear, and further eyewear collections under new leadership.

A design language built on optimism

Kate Spade eyewear continues to reflect the brand's founding motto — "live colorfully" — through playful colors, prints, and patterns applied to easily wearable, modern silhouettes. The brand's spade-shaped logo, or the "Kate Spade New York" wordmark, is typically worked directly into the temple design as a small, thoughtful detail rather than an overt branding statement. Collections span retro-inspired cat-eye frames, oversized statement sunglasses, sleek aviators, and sparkling embellished styles, produced using premium acetate and metal by the Safilo Group, which manufactures the brand's eyewear in Italy.

A loss, and a continued legacy

Kate Spade passed away in June 2018. Her original company issued a statement honoring "all the beauty she brought into this world," and the brand has continued operating under Tapestry's ownership, maintaining the same joyful, colorful design philosophy she established from the company's earliest days. In 2016, Spade and co-founder Elyce Arons had also launched a new venture, Frances Valentine, continuing to build luxury footwear and handbags together outside the original Kate Spade label.