On Tuesday night, bouquets of roses and peonies piled up outside the storefront of 789 Madison, the latest expression of what has been an incredible public outpouring of emotion following the suicide of designer Kate Spade.
There was deep shock, followed by growing discussion about the need to address mental health issues. There was acknowledgment of the fact that no matter how seemingly successful or sunny a surface can be, underneath it all, great pain can exist. There were intensely touching stories of personal experience and depression. But along with it all came wholehearted appreciation of the stuff she made.
It sounds the least of it, but the handbag hymns are testimony to the fact that Ms. Spade’s influence had resonated far beyond the store window and the runway. Her work had reached into people’s minds and helped express their sense of self. A bag became more than a bag: it became a symbol of an important moment in a life and part of an individual’s biography.
Sometimes it was a gift from a family member to mark an important transition. Sometimes it was a gift to oneself, saved up for over months or longer. Sometimes it signaled arrival of sorts, or the beginning of a new stage; sometimes it was an entry point to an expanded identity. Often, it was saved.
Kate Spade did not speak to everyone, nor were her products accessible to everyone. But the reaction shows that over almost three decades, she spoke to more people than anyone perhaps had realized.
For her customers, whether they were famous or not, Kate Spade wasn’t actually fashion. It was personal.
And as a result those customers have taken to the streets, real and virtual, and to social media in all forms to express their feelings about what she meant to them.
“I am heartbroken,” tweeted Mindy Kaling. “My grandmother gave me my first Kate Spade bag when I was in college,” recalled Chelsea Clinton.
But there is no better way to explain why the designer and her work meant so much to so many than to let them speak for themselves. Here are some of their stories, culled from the comments on The New York Times obituary — and at Kate Spade stores in New York City. Their comments have been edited for space and clarity.
“Back when I was working for tech start-ups and many of them were still openly resisting hiring women, all the men would pull out their expensive cutting edge phones and put them down on the conference table. Then I would pull mine out, adorned with a fantastically feminine Kate Spade design. Sometimes it was a woman watering her resplendent flower garden. At times, it was a woman reading the newspaper in a glammed-up, upholstered bed. And from all the repeated glances, I think half the men quietly admired Kate Spade’s artistic expressions. Thank you Kate Spade for bringing a bit of beauty into my life. Your gorgeous yet practical art made me feel a little less lonely at work every day.” — Connie
“The news kind of shocked me because she always seemed like a happy and bubbly person. As a person who bought her brand, it made me really sad. You walk in the store and there are neon signs and stuff talking about being yourself and the best version of yourself. Everything has bright colors. It caught me off guard. It’s very sad.” — Virginia Wooten, 17, North Carolina
“I was one of her first loyal customers. I met Kate and her husband selling bags she made at street fairs…
