Kate Spade Birthday & Fun Facts

Kate Spade Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Katherine Noel Brosnahan

Place Of Birth

Kansas, USA

Age

61 years old

Birth Date

December 23 1962

Kate Spade Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Fashion designer

Education & Qualifications

St. Teresa's Academy

Net Worth

$200,000,000

Current Partner

Andy Spade

Children

Frances Beatrix Spade

Parents

June Brosnahan, Francis Brosnahan

Kate Spade, or Katherine Noel Valentine Brosnahan Spade, was born on December 24, 1962.

She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Her birth name was Katherine Noel Brosnahan, and her parents were June and Francis Brosnahan.

Kate Spade was an American fashion designer and the founder of the luxury brand in fashion called Kate Spade New York. She launched this brand with her husband, Andy Spade. They found the first line of handbags in 1993; since then their company started to grow and include many retail outlets. Apart from that, they also sold their products at high-end stores like Saks Fifth Ave, and Bloomingdale's. Kate Spade formed the international business of accessories and shoes which later branched out into many new markets, depending on the need for style.

At the time, young American ladies appreciated the chic bags. In contrast to more expensive brands like Burberry or Louis Vuitton, one woman remembered that the Kate Spade bags appeared 'mature, without being too sophisticated for a teenager.' As noted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, 'At the turn of the previous century, her bags came to represent a very Manhattan period in time,' when it was hard to walk a street in the city without encountering one.

What was Kate Spade's net worth?

With her excellent business and brand of accessories, Kate Spade had a total net worth of $200 million at the time of her death on June 5, 2018.

How much did Kate Spade earn per year?

We currently do not have information on the per-year income of Kate Spade.

How tall was Kate Spade?

Kate Spade had a height of 5 ft 5 in (165 cm).

How old was Kate Spade?

Being born on December 24, 1962, Kate Spade was 55 years old at the time of her death on June 5, 2018.

Kate Spade's birth name was Katherine Noel Brosnahan, she was born on December 24, 1962, in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Her father was Frank, the owner of the road-construction company, and her mother was a housewife. She did not have any siblings in her family. Spade went to an all-girls catholic school called St. Teresa's Academy. She later went to the University of Kansas and Arizona State University. She was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority during her graduation. She got her journalism degree in 1985 and worked at the Phoenix clothing store Carter's Men Shop during her college time.

Who was Kate Spade's partner?

Kate Spade was married to Andy Spade. They tied the knot in 1994. A few years before her death, the couple began to live separately. They have a daughter together, who was born in 2005. The couple did several investments together, like the Plum TV, Nantucket and Maratha's Vineyard, and the Hamptons. They opened their first boutique in New York City.

Best Known For…

Kate was a Mademoiselle magazine team member in the accessories division. After holding the position of Senior Fashion Editor/Head of Accessories style, she departed Mademoiselle in 1991. She made the decision to design her own handbags after noticing that the handbag market lacked fashionable, sensible, and affordable options while Mademoiselle employed her.

Two years after this, she came out with her own fashion brand called Kate Spade New York with her partner, Andy Spade. She was initially unsure of the name Kate Spade for her brand and she did not marry Andy Spade at that time, and also, Kate Brosnahan was a very cumbersome name for a fashion brand. Later Andy Spade advised her to use Kate Spade as they both got married later. Spade utilized paper and Scotch Tape to create six prototypes for her initial line of handbags, which were then made with the aid of an East New York manufacturer that was willing to collaborate with a startup. In order to fund the business, Andy, a copywriter by trade, pulled funds from his 401(k). Kate changed the appearance of her handbags by placing the labels on the exterior after the Barneys retail chain purchased a couple of them at a display at the Javits Center. She opened her first shop in New York City's SoHo district of Manhattan in 1996 after her handbags, which were sold for between $150 and 450 dollars, gained popularity.

Although Kate Spade New York City, initially only sold handbags, it later expanded its product line to include apparel, eyewear, accessories, stationery, jewelry, fragrances, and more. The company noted $100,000 in sales in 1993; by 1998, that amount had increased to $27 million (and by 2006, to $99 million).

Additionally, Kate Spade had two brand line extensions: Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday. Kate Spade Saturday offered more relaxed handbags and clothing, although it also ran aggressive deals until closing in 2015. In addition to closing in 2015, Kate Spade's menswear line Jack Spade also sold leather products and accessories for men.

Spade helped the brand become more well-known by selling a 56 % ownership in her company to Neiman Marcus Group in 1999.

The home collection brand Kate Spade At Home was introduced in 2004. It offered bedding, bathroom accessories, crockery, wallpaper, tableware, and a variety of decoration-related things. In Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan, a Kate Spade store has been established.

Spade also wrote three volumes, 'Manners', 'Occasions', and 'Style', about manners, entertainment, and fashion.

By 2006, Spade had sold the Neiman Marcus Group her remaining 44 percent of the company. The label, which was later renamed Fifth & Pacific, was purchased by Liz Claiborne Inc. from The Group in 2006 for $124 million. In May 2017, Coach, Inc. acquired the business; Coach and Kate Spade are both a part of Tapestry, Inc.

Spade took a few years off after releasing the remaining stake in her company to devote her attention to her daughter. Under the Frances Valentine brand, she debuted a new line of opulent shoes and handbags in 2016. The name is a combination of Spade's paternal family name Frances and being born on Valentine's Day gave Spade's maternal grandfather the middle name Valentine. Later, Valentine was added to Spade's complete name legally. Following Spade's passing, the company unveiled the Love Katy line of garments in her honor. The company intends to launch the designs and inspirations that Spade has been working on for several years.

Charity Work

Both Kate Spade and her brand were involved with NGOs and CSR activities.

What awards did Kate Spade win?

For her timeless designs, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named Kate Spade America's New Fashion Talent in Accessories in 1996. The fashion designer received the title of Best Accessory Designer of the Year from the organization once more in 1998. 

In 2004, her home collection helped her win three design honors, including the Elle Decor International Design Award for Bedding from Elle Decor, the American Food and Entertaining Award for Designer of the Year from Bon Appétit, and the Giants of Design Award for Tastemaker from House Beautiful.

She was admitted in 2017 to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management's Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Fast Company also recognized her as one of the Most Creative People in Business in 2017.

• There is still no authenticity on the cause of the death of Kate Spade.
• Rachel Brosnahan, the Hollywood actor, is Spade's niece.
• Actor David Spade is the brother-in-law of Kate Spade.

Main image credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.