# Remembering Kate Spade

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2018-06-05
- Length: 36m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade

## Summary

Kate and Andy Spade, the founders of Kate Spade New York, recount the garage-stage origins of their handbag company, starting with a 1991 conversation about simple, modern designs. They detail the early struggles of bootstrapping with burlap materials, funding operations through Andy's advertising salary, and nearly shutting down in 1995 after exhausting their savings. The company achieved product-market fit when major retailers like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue placed large orders, leading to a sale to Neiman Marcus Group and eventual expansion into categories like shoes and stationary.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=0) Introduction: Kate and Andy Spade
- [2:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=157) Meeting and Moving to New York
- [9:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=558) The Idea: Simple Handbags and Burlap Materials
- [13:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=789) Prototyping and First Trade Show
- [16:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=1018) Early Sales, Apartment Operations, and Near Failure
- [25:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=1548) The Turning Point: Department Store Orders and CFDA Award
- [28:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=1699) Sale to Neiman Marcus and Category Expansion
- [31:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade#t=1887) Exit, Transition, and Francis Valentine

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Kate Spade New York (company)
- Neiman Marcus (company)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (company)
- Barney's (company)
- Fred Segel (company)
- CFDA (other)
- Francis Valentine (company)
- Jack Spade (company)

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- [Founder Fundraising Journey: Craig Dubitsky, Happy Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-04-18-founder-fundraising-journey-craig-dubitsky-happy-products) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
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## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-05-remembering-kate-spade. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.