Bubbly, sunny, joyful style. She had an aesthetic that danced point, and playful sophistication. Her fashion style brought a little Holly Golightly to the office, and who couldn’t benefit from a tiara at the Monday morning meeting?
Her home was a cacophony of color, a gallery of fine art, and fancifal finds, of child’s drawings, and family photos, and beautiful prints, stripes, polka dots and layers upon layers of texture that might make you tired if they didn’t make you so darn happy.
That art, those pillows, that expression…
My very first Kate Spade was a black and white gingham check bag, in one of her original shapes. I carried that bag around until the fabric was threadbare and the dirt made it a little more gray than white. Still, I wouldn’t have replaced it for the world. Others did follow, there was a leopard print, and a satin back pack, there were clutches and weekenders, make-up cases, and suitcases, and pretty dresses in between.
That was the print featured on my Nantucket Weekender!
In retrospect I have to believe that Jenna Lyons was a fan – all those statement necklaces, fur capes, and sparkly party skirts paired with a work shirt, a la Fifth Avenue, or a work shirt straight from the trenches. The juxtoposition seemed to work coming from these gals. If they put it together – it undoubtably WENT together.
My dream kitchen.
Even her freckles gave her a relatability that I respected. They weren’t bleached out with expensive creams, her face wasn’t lifted ten ways from Sunday, and she wasn’t a NYC waif. She was a classic beauty because she put care into her appearance and she shown.
graphic with a splash of color.
I feel like the theft of my Kate Spade for Steamline Luggage, along with my satin make-up case, the metal tagged zipper long ago broken from forcing one too many tubes of lipstick into the little case, was a foreshadowing of what was to come. I had that make-up case for nearly 20 years. I’ve written about that Steamline case so often I feel as if my blog should be entitled: Carry-on: One Gals Travels with her Kate Spade for Steamline- instead of Quest for the Nest.
Wherever the mood took her.
I spent a whole decade carrying a weekender back and forth to Nantucket. It’s iconic print, and pretty neo-pink and kelly green stripes seemed just the pop of preppy required for the island, and made me feel super special. I think I’ll pull it out of the closet. It’s as lovely as it was the day I spent more than I could afford to buy it. It was an investment as my sister Mary Beth would say, and sometimes, material things can bring you happiness.
Thank you for that Kate.