Josefine Laul/Courtesy photo
Jonathan Saunders is bringing his witty take on femininity to Kate Spade New York.
The Scottish designer will log in as executive creative director on Aug. 26, overseeing product design and brand visual identity at the accessibly priced handbag brand.
Saunders will report to brand president and chief executive officer Eva Erdmann, a beauty veteran who took the reins in October 2024 and has been positioning the Tapestry Inc.-owned business for a turnaround
Bringing in Saunders — who’s well-respected after 20-plus years at Alexander McQueen, Diane von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein and other brands — could help reset Kate Spade, which was one of fashion’s hottest brands 15 years ago, but has been on the decline lately
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“We’re on a journey to really reignite the magic of this iconic brand for a new generation of consumers,” Erdmann said in an interview with WWD on Tuesday. “Kate Spade has this fantastic heritage, this incredible awareness, and our opportunity is to turn that awareness into real desire.”
Sales of Kate Spade fell 11 percent to $839.8 million for the nine months ended March 28 as the brand pulled back on price promotions.
Erdmann said she’s very proud of the work done so far to reposition the brand, but that Saunders will be able to add “even more creative spark to the next phase of our journey.”
“With him, our focus will be really on sharpening even more the creative vision of the brand to make our products really unmistakable,” she said. “It’s going to be really about building this relationship and the authentic emotional connection with the consumer by understanding her.”
Erdmann is looking for Saunders to both sync up with young consumers and tap into the brand’s history, which goes back to 1993.
“We have such rich archives,” the CEO said. “He will focus on bringing that soul and that essence to a new generation of consumers.”
While fashion has a way of chasing the fountain of youth, Kate Spade might have a particular claim on the future consumer as its mix of whimsy and chic has a natural appeal for those moving into adulthood.
“We’ve seen a very strong affinity between our brand and the Gen Z consumer,” Erdmann said. “Why? Because they’re living in a world where there is a lot of anxiety and they’re actually telling us that they’re craving small moments of joy. They’re craving for much more connection. They’re craving for just enjoying their here and now. This is really what the brand is about.”
In a statement, Saunders described Kate Spade as “iconic” and said it was “an honor to step into a brand that has such a strong identity and deep emotional connections.”
“The brand has a genuine point of view, rich brand codes steeped in its 30-year history and infinite potential,” he said. “I’m looking forward to immersing myself in the brand heritage and connecting that soul with today’s consumers. I’m thrilled to join the team that’s shaping Kate Spade’s joyful future.”
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Saunders graduated from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts in London. He will be relocating to New York for his new gig.
Inc. bought Kate Spade in 2017, but the group is really powered by the Coach brand, which came out of its own funk several years ago and has been going from strength to strength
The idea is that the playbook that got ’s mojo back will also inform the revitalization of Kate Spade.
Joanne Crevoiserat, president and CEO of Tapestry, spoke of the potential at Kate Spade on a call with analysts in May: “We see signs of progress. This is true across brand consideration, handbag performance and customer acquisition as we welcomed 400,000 new customers to Kate Spade in the [third] quarter
“We also know that turnarounds take time and the path to long-term growth is not always linear,” Crevoiserat said. “We are continuing to track the leading indicators of growth informed by our success and learnings at Coach. This gives us earlier visibility to evaluate where our efforts are taking hold and where we need to adjust our execution and investments, ensuring that progress is continued, tangible and sustainable.”
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