I was out running a couple of errands with my brother and Indy yesterday when I opened my phone and saw the news that Kate Spade had died. Over the next couple of hours several friends and family members reached out to see if I had heard the news; my love of the Kate Spade brand is clearly no secret. What a sad day.
Growing up I never really felt like I fit in, fashion-wise with my friends. I followed the trends through middle and high school, wearing baby-doll dresses with crochet cardigans in middle school and super wide-legged jeans and ridiculous baggy t-shirts that were popular as I started high school. I began to experiment more with fashion as I got older, and once I entered my junior year of college I pretty much knew the things I liked, and that were me. (Spending a semester of my sophomore year in Europe didn’t hurt.) Not to say that trends and my likes haven’t changed over the years, but for the most part, I know that I like:
- to be more dressed up, than down
- anything that sparkles
- clothes that are colorful and bold
Obviously the Kate Spade brand became a favorite to window-shop. Whimsical prints, sophisticated silhouettes, sparkly shoes meant to be seen. Every trip to a location with a Kate Spade store meant I got to see, and touch, these gorgeous pieces, imagining a life on the Upper East Side, throwing dinner parties in my penthouse apartment.
I didn’t get the penthouse apartment, or a life in New York. (And I’ve never thrown a dinner party.) But, I did buy my first Kate Spade bag. And then my second, and third. Pieces I love and carry now and will continue to carry for years. (That’s what great quality will do!)
But, it’s just clothes.
Only, it’s not.
It’s a 15 year old girl feeling like she doesn’t fit in and dreaming about what life could be like.
It’s realizing other people in the world like what you like, and create things that match the visions you’ve had in your head.
It’s art and genius and thousands of hours of hard work that people have devoted themselves to, trying to create something that will make you smile.
Kate Spade gave me many, many smiles over the years. Prayers of peace and comfort to her family and friends.
