90s Nostalgia and The Enduring Power of Friendship
Elyce Arons Drops By to Talk about Her New Book and Building Kate Spade with Her Best Friend.
The 90s have been a well trodden source of inspiration in fashion, beauty, slang, eyewear and just about everything for awhile now. As someone who came of age in the 90s, I get it. I am biased and I get it. The decade was powerful and irreplaceable in every category it continues to influence. It’s also the decade that brought us Kate Spade, the brand that created a bridge to empowering, mostly accessible and optimistic style. It pulled my focus from the grunge-filled subculture I was slipping into (musically and aesthetically) and helped set my mind to doing well in school so I could go to college on the east coast and be like the women I saw carrying the Sam bag.
As a high school freshman, my parents never got me the Sam bag, but the women I saw carrying it always resonated with me as someone I would like to be, or with a job I would like to have.
That feeling, of being inspired to start a new adventure and eventually make it in a big city is a pillar of Elyce Arons, the co-founder of Kate Spade and CEO and co-founder of Frances Valentine’s new book about her friendship with Kate Spade and their early days starting their iconic brand.
Released this week, “We Might Just Make it After All” recounts with charm and reverence, Arons and Spade’s decades long friendship from meeting in college to creating and growing Kate Spade to be one the most enduring contemporary brands.
As a fashion obsessed teen when Kate Spade launched, I will never forget the path of possibility it laid before me to figure out a career in New York, ideally in fashion. The brand, though very much evolved from its early days, still brings me (and so many others) so much joy (something we could all stock up on at the moment). Here, Arons chats about style, culture and writing her book about her best friendship with Spade.
I love the title of the book, what was the impetus behind the name?
Elyse Arons: I grew up watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary showed generations of women she could make it on her own in a predominantly male dominated field. She was modern and confident but funny and stylish. The book title was inspired by the theme song to the show, Love Is All Around.
What was the most rewarding part of writing this book?
EA: The best part of writing We Might Just Make It After All was reliving so many great memories of mine and Katy’s past and starting two companies with my best friend.
What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
EA: I have never written a book before and organizing how it would flow was challenging at first. However, I eventually got the hang of it.
How does it feel to see so many moments and trends in pop culture that you and Kate influenced come back again?
EA: I love pop culture. It always seems like what goes around comes around. We never really followed trends at Kate Spade and certainly do not at Frances Valentine either. Katy always used to say “if you’re not on trend, you’re never off trend.” But I do know we have been inspired by so many cultural icons and eras in our work.
How do you think we can return to truly personal style given how we all see so much of the same thing on social media?
EA: I love following stylists and influencers who really put outfits together. Whether it is mixing vintage clothing with new or layering colors and prints or accessorizing. They are doing what magazine editors and stylish women have always done. Having fun with dressing.
You’ve always made things that are mood boosting, what do you do, watch, practice daily to boost your mood
EA: I dress in color of course! I truly believe what you wear can change how you feel every day and boost your mood. Our mantra at Frances Valentine is “Wear What Makes You Happy”. We live by that!
Wear what makes you happy!! Amen!!🥰
Love your interview of Elyce Arons