Kate Spade

Founded in January 1993 by Katherine Noel Brosnahan (Kate Spade) and her husband Andy Spade, along with Elyce Arons and Pamela Bell, in Kansas City, Missouri. Kate worked as accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine before starting the handbag line. The debut line featured classic shapes with a square bag and small black label reading "Kate Spade New York." The first shop opened in New York City's SoHo in 1996. In 1999, Neiman Marcus Group acquired a 56% stake for $34 million, then bought the remaining 44% in 2006 for $59.4 million. In November 2006, Liz Claiborne Inc. bought the company for $124 million. In July 2017, Tapestry, Inc. (formerly Coach, Inc.) purchased Kate Spade & Company for $2.4 billion. The brand expanded from handbags into clothing, jewelry, home products, perfumes, and accessories, operating over 180 retail stores worldwide.