We are deeply saddened by the death of visionary Kate Valentine, formerly known as Kate Spade and the founder of a designer accessories empire by the same name, on June 5^th, 2018.

Unlike other fashion houses, Kate Spade, both the designer and the brand, came from humble beginnings. Born Katherine Brosnahan, Kate came from Kansas City, Missouri and was one of six children. Though she often foraged her mother’s jewelry box, fashion wasn’t a point of obsession for Kate just yet; rather, she always dreamed of working in the entertainment industry.

Kate arrived to The Big Apple in 1985 to work for Mademoiselle Magazine, starting as an assistant and climbing her way to head of accessories and senior fashion editor. But Kate saw potential in the handbag market, and she left the magazine in 1991 to start her own venture with her then-boyfriend, Andy Spade.

Armed with Scotch tape, white paper and a savings fund, Kate began to design what would become her sophisticated yet whimsical designs. The night before an accessories show, Kate impulsively sewed her logo on the outside of her purses—and thus began not only Kate Spade New York, but also the proliferation of the name brand.

Though business was shaky at first, Kate’s accessories drew much attention from magazines and department stores. Andy and Kate married in 1994, and two years later, Kate opened her first store in Soho that soon garnered enormous success among customers. The designer garnered an astounding $28 million in sales, and she was named Glamour Woman of the Year in 2002.

Three years later, Kate and Andy sold 56 percent of their stake in the company to Neiman Marcus, sparking an expansion in their product line. In 2006, they sold the rest of their shares to Neiman Marcus again, which then sold it to Liz Clairborne. Kate revealed that this decision was mostly due to the birth of her daughter, Frances, in 2005.

Soaring from the immense success of Kate Spade, Kate and Andy launched the shoe and handbag brand Frances Valentine; she was so eager about the prospect of the brand that she legally changed her name to Kate Valentine.

In July 2017, Coach bought Kate Spade for $2.4 billion in order to expand its millennial consumer base.

In the aftermath of her death, celebrities reminisced their first Kate Spade handbags.

Kate will forever be remembered by not only the legacy of her successful brands and her whimsical designs, but also as a catalyst within the fashion sphere.

Cover Photo by Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe/Getty Image.