“L ife’s too short. There should always be whimsy and colour.” – Deborah Lloyd
– a silk blouse and a high-waisted trouser. I love the play on proportions with the swing of the coat and the streamlined proportions underneath, and of course, the Kate Spade twist – the faux fur hat with the little ears on the top. The combination of the different textures just makes this look a really modern way to dress for the winter.”
Modernity aside, it’s the Kate Spade twist that is the signature of the brand – the fun, novel items that become conversation pieces. “We always get so excited about the novelty pieces,” says Goreski. “We have the chocolate box clutch, the little fuzzy owl bag, the candy bag, and they all go very well with the overall look and feel of the collection.”
“The Kate Spade girl loves to start a conversation. There’s always been fun pieces, usually in the bags. We like to call these pieces our conversation starters. There’s always that bit of whimsy in Kate Spade. Life’s too short. There should always be whimsy and colour,” says Lloyd.
Another one of Lloyd’s inspirations this season was the character, Truly Scrumptious, from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. “She was one of my heroines growing up. I loved those pink frills she wore. There’s definitely an ode to her in the collection.”
While pink made up a large part of the collection, it wasn’t always frilly or necessarily girly in this case. There was an oversized coat that looked super luxurious, worn with a black jumpsuit, a preppy-looking double-breasted pea coat, and a single-breasted jacket worn with black wide-legged cropped pants – all pieces that could easily translate into a working woman’s wardrobe. And that’s the beauty of this particular collection. For all its whimsy, fairy-tale inspirations, there were actually a lot pieces you could build a serious wardrobe from, whether it’s the boardroom or cocktail party.
“There’s so much when you design for a global marketplace. There’s some beautiful, oversized mohair coats, some great shearling pieces, but those are just the icing on the cake,” says Lloyd. “The outerwear’s definitely key for this season,” agrees Goreski. “In the colder seasons, we tend to get a bit lazy with our outfits and tend to just go for warmth. I think this is really where Kate Spade New York excels – offering the Kate Spade girl these really special pieces that are so easy to incorporate into the wardrobe.”
Outerwear aside, there were plenty of separates that made up the collection – plaid midi skirts and shirt dresses, sequinned blouses, and floral print pants. “There are some amazing pieces for layering in this collection,” says Lloyd. “New silhouettes for us include the slim-line, boot-cut trouser jeans. There’s definitely a ‘70s feeling in there, but not forgetting the pretty dresses that we’re known for.”
And a standout “pretty dress” would definitely be the pink backless mini dress with nothing but a large bow tied at the back. The script on the clutch that’s paired with it perfectly sums up the look – delightful. “The Kate Spade girl has a zest for life,” says Goreski. “It’s not only her clothes. It’s her personality and attitude and in the way she walks through the world. The clothes really complement the woman. In this collection especially, there’re so many pieces that you can pull out and add to your wardrobe and make that statement.” And then then there’s the dream. “This is the year of adventure,” says Lloyd. “It’s escapism of the mind with fairy tales into a magical world.” -H A TV S E
S U M Do Wonders candy wrapper clutch, Kate Spade New York Kate Spade New York Autumn/ Winter ’15
Blaze A Trail fox clutch, Kate Spade New York