The Co Antrim woman continuing the legacy of designer Kate Spade at New York Fashion Week
IT was a dream come true for a Northern Ireland designer as she made her debut at New York Fashion Week.
Co Antrim woman Nicola Glass (46) is the creative director of billion-dollar fashion house Kate Spade New York.
She grew up in Templepatrick and was a pupil at Belfast Royal Academy, where art was her favourite subject.
“I always felt I would do something creative,” she said.
She went on to study architecture at Edinburgh University before quickly shifting to Edinburgh Art College where she gained a BA in jewellery design. From there, she went on to complete a Masters degree in fashion accessories at the Royal College of Art, London.
After graduating, Nicola briefly worked for British company Bamford before joining Gucci, and was the only handbag designer on the team who wasn’t Italian.
She said: “I was at Gucci for about twoand-half-years designing handbags, belts and jewellery. It was during the last collections of Tom Ford and it was an incredible experience.”
In 2004, the designer landed the role of senior vice-president of accessories design at Michael Kors in New York, fulfilling her dream of living and working in the fashion capital.
“Michael Kors was a company I particularly admired for the way Michael used accessories in his runway shows.
“Chancing on an article in Women’s Wear Daily about his further expansion into accessories, I contacted the company and was soon leading the accessory design team”, she said.
In January, she was appointed creative director of Kate Spade New York, replacing the long-serving Deborah Lloyd. Despite her background in accessories and jewellery, she took on the task of overseeing the entirety of the brand.
The designer showcased her debut collection at New York Fashion Week last month to critical acclaim.
“I wanted to do something that would allow the collection to be viewed in an elevated way,” said Nicola, on the decision to host the brand’s first ever runway show.
“It felt like the right moment for something new.”
Held in the New York Public Library, chosen for its elegance and intimacy, the show saw electric 1970s inspired prints and reworked classics like the label’s iconic spade symbol artfully hidden in prints.
“I loved seeing how my vision came to life and translated across all of our categories — from ready-to-wear and jewellery to handbags and footwear.”
The runway itself was in- spired by a Kate Spade 2006 Tim Walker ad campaign which featured a model walking on a yellow line in the middle of an open road. For the SS19 runway, the yellow line was replaced with a glitter trail on a pink carpet to represent founder Kate’s iconic message, “she leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes”. This was a way for them to honour their late visionary founder who left her namesake brand in 2007.
Nicola explains that the glitter trail was also a metaphor for her own personal journey and the brand’s path looking forward. She noted that Kate and Andy Spade were “ground-breaking” when they launched the brand 25-years-ago. On her inspiration for the collection, she explained: “The purity of their design approach appealed to me.
“I have always been attracted to the brand’s optimistic spirit — the modern use of colour and sophisticated thinking around the design. It’s the foundation I’ve been building on.
“To me, Kate Spade New York stands for ‘optimistic femininity’ — empowered, confident dressing with an easy, sunny sensibility.”
Nicola felt no need to change course after the sudden and tragic death of Kate Spade in June, as she had already designed the first collection with the core DNA of the brand in mind.
“I started by looking backwards before I looked forwards. I was excited to honour the brand’s heritage in my first collection,” she said.
The designer believes her experience in accessories means she has been able to touch the products “in a holistic way”.
“I’m looking at how we can build upon the collection season after season, establishing consistencies and core elements across categories — evolving spring into summer, summer into fall in an organic manner.
“There truly is so much opportunity with the brand.
“To examine and refine the existing codes of the house and to create new ones.
“We’ve only started to scratch the surface.”
And her advice for aspiring designers? “Don’t be afraid about not knowing exactly what you want to do.
“The most important thing is to follow your passions, as that will lead you to something you love doing.
“Looking back, there were times when I was uncertain and didn’t know where my path would take me.
“I’m so happy and grateful that my path has led me to Kate Spade.”