Kate Spade Designers Talk Dressing Haley Lu Richardson and the Brand's New Direction

Published on 2/13/2023 at 1:45 PM

BFA/ Yvonne Tnt

Walking into the Kate Spade New York Fall 2023 presentation and immediately laying eyes on Haley Lu Richardson in a yellow skirt suit was, to put it simply, a vibe. It set the tone for the entire event, which was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art and used the Hudson River as a backdrop.

"We wanted to harness the energy of a restart or a blank canvas. Fall always feels like the beginning, doesn't it?"

The "White Lotus" actress's outfit was reflective of the new collection's theme. The latest offering celebrates a return to the joy of getting dressed, and Richardson's textured blazer and skirt, leopard pussy-bow blouse, and embellished tote was nothing if not joyful. But it was also a touch quirky, like something her eclectic character Portia might choose to wear.

Richardson's dirty-blond hair was parted at the side and fastened into a relaxed chignon. Her makeup was fittingly '60s, with a darkly lined eye, rosy cheeks, and a shiny pink lip, and she finished the look with a jet-black manicure. Tom Mora, Kate Spade's SVP and Head of Design, RTW, and Lifestyle, revealed that Richardson and her team of stylists had the skirt silhouette altered into a mini, to evoke a more youthful mood.

Youthfulness, optimism, and joy are at the center of the Kate Spade brand ethos. Together with Jennifer Lyu, SVP and Head of Design, Leather Goods, and Accessories, Mora wanted to present customers with "fall in New York," he told POPSUGAR. He described it as a blank canvas — when you return to the city after a long summer and can't wait to explore new restaurants and landmarks with friends, delighting in everything NYC has to offer.

Vibrant hues were the key element Mora and Lyu used to express the energy of the lineup, highlighting the newly-minted, signature Pantone color Kate Spade Green, which exudes positivity. From the sequined suits and graphic prints to the fuzzy striped stoles and beanies, it's obvious that dopamine dressing is largely at play this season. Of course, the bags are works of art in and of themselves, lending eye-catching shapes and textures to the lineup.

And the setting, which instantly lifted my mood, was intentional. "We walked into the space yesterday for a walk-through, and what this looked like as the sun was going down, was just, wow," said Mora. "Then you layer in the color of the clothing, and it's such a special moment."

"The initial inspiration was a vibe," agrees Lyu. "To come full circle today and re-create the vibe we were feeling and watch it come 360 feels so meta. It's incredible as designers."

Ahead, find out how Haley Lu Richardson chose her outfit for the special day as the face of the brand, and read our full interview with the Kate Spade design team, Tom Mora and Jennifer Lyu.

On Celebrity Dressing

POPSUGAR: How do the Kate Spade New York celebrity muses choose their looks for the presentation?
Tom Mora: We select a group of looks for each person, but it's up to them. Sometimes they'll come in and they'll want to talk about it with us, which is fun. So it depends on the celebrity and the time we have. Everyone sort of fell into their look this time. And it's interesting that everyone picked the look we thought they were going to pick.
Jennifer Lyu: But they make it so their own.

PS: Let's talk about Haley Lu Richardson's look.
TM: I love how short she made that skirt. She looks amazing. They altered it — it was originally longer.
PS: That quirky touch reminds me of the way her character Portia dresses on "The White Lotus."
TM: Oh, totally.

On the Fall 2023 Collection Inspiration

PS: Tell us about the theme of the fall 2023 collection.
TM: When we were thinking about the fall season, we were thinking about the renewed energy you feel when you're back and you've been away all summer. You want to experience everything the city has to offer — meeting friends for drinks, going to a new restaurant, or in this case going to an art exhibition at your favorite museum. The key inspiration is the joy of getting dressed again; of putting on heels and just getting ready. We wanted to harness the energy of a restart or a blank canvas. Fall always feels like the beginning, doesn't it? It's been ingrained in us when it comes to the start of school and the start of fashion in September.

On the 1 Look That Epitomizes the Collection

PS: Which look do you feel epitomizes the entire collection as a whole?
JL: I say look two, because in the collection, we wanted to highlight primary colors and monochrome. This look is particularly saturated, but I also thought about complementary neighboring colors and how we were going to put them together to create a charge. I love the way that this outfit came together, from the texture to the way we receive the color as the customers and the audience.

On the Role of Color

PS: You introduced the brand's new signature Kate Spade Green. Can you talk about the colors in the collection a bit more?
JL: There's a certain rigor in the way we use primary colors season after season. But within that, there's a study on how the color becomes a subject itself. It's so fascinating how we all perceive the different textures and sheens in a different way. So we're excited to see how the customers are going to receive the color and make it their own by expressing it in their own way. There's no right or wrong.

On the It Bags

PS: Which bags do you think are going to become the newest "it" items?
JL: We always go back to the roots of geometric shapes. But I just like embroidering or bedazzling a simple square bag. But also the boxy, quilted bag with all of that texture. I also love the nappa leather, because it shows how you can express solid texture in a different way. I can do a lot with color and just a few other instruments.

On the Future of Kate Spade New York

PS: How does Kate Spade New York play a role in the future of fashion?
TM: We've been at the company for two years, but this is only our second season presenting a collection. It really feels like the start for us. We really love that the collection expresses the heritage of the brand, but it also propels us forward. Being that this is the 30th anniversary, we did look back, but it helped us move forward in a really modern, unique, and special way. We always talk about tension points — super dressed up vs. the ease of dressing and masculine vs. feminine. This is something newer that I think we brought to the brand, plus study of the tension of color, which is super important.