Kate Spade New York RTW Spring 2024
It may be hard to remember the feeling while New York City is amid a string of grossly humid days, but Kate Spade’s Tom Mora, head of design for ready-to-wear, and Jennifer Lyu, head of design for accessories, were inspired by the first warm day of spring. A simple concept, but as Mora explained, “It’s an emotion that you feel from that first moment, it’s excitement. Optimism.”
For a brand built on colorful American prep with a strong dose of novelty, optimism is the right choice for a seasonal message. Mora went looser this season, like a white sequined pant, jacket and top and flower choker combo, sewn on a mesh fabric. It felt easy but with a modern femininity the brand’s customer is seeking. Sequined striped board shorts, pearl details on buttons and collars on plaid dresses were whimsical touches, but not saccharine sweet. Accessories were a softer take on novelty — sculpted rose kitten heels, plastic round sunglasses and the most American of hats, baseball caps.
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Spring also includes a capsule “Noel” collation introduced in 1999 that uses a sort of bubble letter KS monogram motif, found here on a cardigan, a varsity jacket, more wide-leg pants and of course a mix of handbags, the backbone of the business since it’s beginning. ”It’s a bold expression but in a really casual way with a sportiness, younger vibe to it,“ Lyu said of the capsule.
The duo showed on The High Line and postshow they opened the space up to the public to serve doughnuts and drinks, inviting them into the world of Kate Spade. It’s a mindful dance to maintain house codes while pushing a brand forward, and in a spring season already shaping up to be a minimalism redo, it’s always nice see fun clothes with color and joy, too.
Launch Gallery: Kate Spade RTW Spring 2024
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