Just one of my many idols, it was her iconic boxy tote handbag design in the 90s that made me a fan. Carrying her very recognizable handbag (but to only those in the know) meant instant cred to every 20-something year old at the start of their careers. I remember myself, young and eager, commuting with the rest of the working world, still very new and exciting to me, rushing out of BART, speed walking down Market to my very first corporate job in the financial district of Downtown SF, feeling every confidence in the world because of it...my very own designer bag, sitting oh so pretty on the crook of my arm. I was an adult. I was a working girl. I was on the 47th floor, in a major city. I was the ish.
Little did I know, after this short corporate stint, that I myself would become a handbag designer. I worked my way from the bottom, learned every aspect of the business for the next 18 years, until at last, I reached the very top. And through it all, never did I forget those early days and how a simple bag could make you feel so...friggin'...good. I was changed. And I've been chasing that same high ever since.
June 5, 2018 ended up being the most ironic day. Waking up to the terrible news about Kate Spade, then learning later that very same day that after 18 years with my company, they were closing. I was in disbelief. I was devastated. I was...jobless. But looking back, the day her life ended is the day mine began. I picked myself up. I went freelance. And now, I have MaryJane.
Funny how life is. I came across this Kate Spade notebook the other day and on the front it says "I am excessively diverted." - Jane Austen
Thank you Kate Spade, while you were doin' you, you got us. And because of you, I'm chasing heights I never imagined. I am...excessively diverted.
- Chris
