VIENNA & STYLE

(Interview by deborah lloyd, Kate Spade's president and chief creative officer, talking about style, creativity and the “secret to living colorfully”, together with iris apfel and nadja swarovski.)

on her childhood dreams:  “when I was 15, I woke up one day and said, ‘I want to be a fashion designer—how do I do that?’ I’m very focused once I want to do something.”

on what it means to be a kate spade new york girl:  ”kate spade new york is a brand I love: it’s about color, it’s about wit, it’s about whimsy, it’s about personal expression. it’s about not being a wallflower. it’s about standing out in a crowd, and we like to say she’s quick, she’s curious, she’s playful and she’s strong. we find those girls all over the world. i think the only thing we’re scared about is being bored.”

on the art of standing out in the crowd: “it’s great when everything’s not perfect. that’s what makes people human. we have a lot of wit and whimsey in our brand that’s done in a clever and sophisticated way—often it’s hidden, like a saying inside a bangle.”

and speaking of sophistication…: “great design can be the simplest thing. it’s all about functionality. in ahandbag, it’s about the organization inside that makes you want to use it everyday. on a piece of jewelry, it’s about that piece laying flat whenever you wear it. and great design lasts a lifetime.  think of an amazing piece like a barcelona chair, for instance—look at it now and it looks like it was designed yesterday, but its been 80 years or more. great design lasts.”