In 1994, I sat nervously in the office of a legendary New York ad agency. The creative director, Andy, told me that he’d soon be leaving the agency to help his wife launch her business.
"We're making purses and handbags in our apartment, and then we'll sell them."
Privately, I couldn't imagine how purses could possibly be cooler than advertising, but I said, “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for them. What's the brand name?"
He smiled, and said, "Kate Spade."
Goodbye, dear Kate. You showed a generation of women how to express ourselves fully, without frill or frump, in the brightest polka dots imaginable.
The world will be a khaki place without you.
Yet behind all that glorious colour and creativity she, like many creative types or perhaps it's in all of us to varying degrees, was a woman with self doubt, anxiety and worry. We make such a big deal about depression, anxiety and mental health in a way that makes people feel shameful or need to hide it when perhaps it's exactly how you explain fascination Sally - emotionally, you experience fascination as a feeling of confidence - yet why is it that we can't sustain that for a long period of time - yet being creative, it's what makes us feel most alive and is our safe place. If only we could tap into how to stay in that state, relax into it and love who we are and the amazing gifts we all have within. Comparison and competitiveness strip this away. I'd never heard of Kate Spade till until now. Thank you for leading me to the energy in your post to read a little about her amazing talent.
Michelle