Latest news with #ElyceArons
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Happened to Kate Spade? This New Memoir Sheds Light on the Designer's Glamorous Life and Personal Demons
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Kate Spade left behind a trailblazing legacy in the fashion industry, and her preppy designs have been beloved by everyone from Taylor Swift to Kerry Washington and Mindy Kaling. Now, her longtime friend and former business partner has written a new book that captures the heart of their bond and the story behind their shared success. More from Rolling Stone How to Watch Panthers vs. Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 6 Online The One in Vegas: 'Friends' Arrives on Las Vegas Strip With New Interactive Fan Experience How to Watch the Oregon State vs. Louisville CWS Re-Match Online $26.96 $28.99 7% off Buy Now On Amazon $28.99 Buy Now on barnes & noble Titled We Might Just Make It After All, the 304-page memoir — released today — is authored by Elyce Arons, an entrepreneur, writer, and co-founder of the Kate Spade brand. Arons met Spade during their college years at the University of Kansas, and from that point on, the two were inseparable, both personally and professionally. This book offers an intimate look at their friendship, the building of a fashion empire, and what it was like to grow up together in New York City. 'We Might Just Make It After All brings us on the rollercoaster of adventures (and misadventures) that the best friends embarked on, from transferring colleges on a whim, to falling in and out of love with suitors, cramming into roach-infested Hell's Kitchen apartments, and eventually designing the chic, simple bag that would launch the pair to global fame,' an official Amazon description of the book states. This story is a powerful read for anyone who has admired Kate Spade's work over the years, has an interest in fashion, or is navigating their own journey through grief (Spade died from suicide in 2018), and is looking for comforting words from someone who's faced a similar loss. $26.96 $28.99 7% off Buy Now On Amazon $28.99 Buy Now on barnes & noble 'This book is not only a deep dive into what it takes to persevere and achieve hard-earned success as female entrepreneurs, but it is also a beautiful portrayal of the complexities of female friendship and the joy, the struggle and power of a deep connection between two unique women, ' said New York Times Best-Selling Author, Brooke Shields, in a review listed on Amazon. 'Elyce's storytelling and relatable characters made me laugh, cry, and reflect on my own friendships. At its core, the book explores profound love and loss, and the story will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I could not put it down.' You can pick up the hardcover on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for under $30. And If you're craving more Kate Spade, shop some of our favorite handbags from the brand — or check out Frances Valentine, the designer's other label, now led by Elyce Arons as CEO. Best of Rolling Stone The Best Audiophile Turntables for Your Home Audio System
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elyce Arons, Cofounder and CEO of Frances Valentine, Reflects on Friendship With Kate Spade, Success of Frances Valentine and New Book
On the eve of the release of her new book, 'We Might Just Make It After All' (Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster) Elyce Arons held court at the Hotel Chelsea Monday night talking about her current business, Frances Valentine, and her long-standing friendship with Kate Spade, with whom she founded the multibillion-dollar fashion company, Kate Spade. Arons and Spade became best friends in college (The University of Kansas and Arizona State University) and eventually moved to New York where they started a line of handbags — ultimately transforming the accessories industry. The Kate Spade brand was eventually sold to Neiman Marcus Group, Liz Claiborne Inc., and ultimately Tapestry Inc., where it lives today. More from WWD How Tapestry Drives Adaptable Digital Journeys With Technology Joanne Crevoiserat Touts 'Step Change' in Tapestry Growth Madison Beer Falls in Love With Friendship in Kate Spade New York's Valentine's Day Collection 2025 Gift Guide Arons and Spade ended up starting another brand, Frances Valentine, in 2016 but Spade died of suicide in 2018. Asked what prompted her to write this book about their long-standing friendship, Arons told WWD, 'It's taken me this long to actually get to a point where I could, but I feel like everyone remembers Katy for how she left us, but not how wonderful and funny and gracious she was. Most people don't because she was pretty shy…..I just feel like I want people to know the great times we had. I mean she was the funniest person you'd ever want to meet.' Arons wrote the book with her husband, Andy Arons. Arons said that after they sold the Kate Spade brand, she and Spade went on to found Frances Valentine with a group of investors. Andy Spade, Kate's husband, is Arons' business partner. While Arons stayed pretty low profile in the ensuing years, the business has been experiencing some impressive gains. Frances Valentine, which has mostly focused on the direct-to-consumer channel, is up 40 percent this year, according to Arons. Frances Valentine's e-commerce is up 284 percent this month-to-date. After COVID-19, Frances Valentine launched the apparel division and brought in a new vice president, who came from Zanella. Today, Frances Valentine sells such retailers as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom (all online), as well as Dillards, where it's available in-store, as well as and the brand's freestanding stores. She declined to disclose the company's volume figure. At present, apparel represents 60 percent of the business, and accessories account for 40 percent. She explained that the business has been primarily e-commerce-driven since they started. They now have nine retail stores, which have been doing well. The breakdown is now 50 percent e-commerce, 30 percent retail and 20 percent wholesale. 'And wholesale and retail are growing really fast,' said Arons. Frances Valentine's nine stores are on Madison Avenue and 73rd Street; Sag Harbor, N.Y.; Dallas; Houston; Palm Beach and Naples, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Atlanta, and Alexandria, Va. Cities they're considering for expansion are Nashville; Charlotte, N.C., and Chicago, as well as various cities in California. Describing the Frances Valentine customer, Arons said, 'I think it's a woman who really appreciates individual style. She likes to wear color, and I think that's why a lot of our business is concentrated in the South, and she likes prints. And there's a nostalgic feel to our brand because Katy [Spade] and I were such huge vintage shoppers. We just created these silhouettes that are pieces that you buy today and you want to pull out of your closet 10 years from now, and not feel like it's out of style. They're not trend driven at all. We're the opposite of fast fashion.' Arons said she like to describe the line as 'modern vintage.' 'We put pockets in everything. We make sizes from extra small up to extra large,' she said. Arons said she's part of the three-person design team. While Arons said she doesn't sketch, she said they always 'make what we like.' Arons said they took an eight-year break before they launched Frances Valentine. 'So when we came back, we were like, 'we know how to do this,' We'll do the whole thing again.' But she said that when they sold Kate Spade, they didn't have much of an e-commerce business, and it was just one person sitting in a corner doing e-commerce. 'So when we started Frances Valentine, we knew we had to build data. What we didn't realize was how much the wholesale business had changed and e-commerce had taken over so much, and how influencers had taken over from editors.' The business started in 2014 and was launched in 2016. William McComb, former CEO of Liz Claiborne Inc. (renamed Fifth & Pacific Cos.), is a board adviser. The company makes their collections all over the world. The handbags are made in Italy and Asia, the knits are done in Peru, the denim is made in Turkey and the wovens in India. They also produce some things in the U.S. The sweet spot for dresses is $398. Turning to opportunities for Frances Valentine, Arons said they just had a very successful collaboration with Caddis eyewear, which sold out in 48 hours. They're looking into licensing deals for jewelry, footwear, fragrance, eyewear and home. Best of WWD Macy's Is Closing 66 Stores in 2025 — Here's the List, Live Updates Inside the Demise of Lord & Taylor COVID-19 Spikes Elevate Retail Concerns
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kate Spade's best friend reveals her final chat with the designer a day before she killed herself: 'Oh my god'
The last time Elyce Arons spoke to Kate Spade, they were doing what they always did - laughing. Spade was preparing for her annual summer trip to Napa, chatting breezily about her plans when her father rang in on the other line. 'Oh my God, it's my dad,' she said with a laugh. 'I'll call you right back.'
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Kate Spade's best friend breaks her silence to end cruel speculation about the fashion icon's suicide
The best friend and business partner of Kate Spade has broken a seven-year silence about the fashion icon's shock suicide, delivering an emotional account of her final hours. In a memoir out next week, Elyce Arons rejects controversial allegations that Spade was driven to take her own life by the collapse of her marriage or that the designer refused treatment for chronic mental illness.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Who Was Kate Spade?
'Baby, baby,' Kate Spade would squeal, about to tuck into a tasty sandwich, party with friends or, on occasion, sell her cheerily colorful handbags to a fancy store. In 'We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship With Kate Spade,' Elyce Arons remembers her pal as a force of nature with a curiously reticent streak. In the memoir, out this month, Ms. Arons, who was Ms. Spade's former business partner, ally and confidant for nearly 40 years, details the peaks, and rare valleys, of their lasting friendship. It was one that endured until the designer took her own life in 2018, an event that stunned and saddened a world of admirers. From the time the two met as dorm mates at the University of Kansas, Katy, as Ms. Arons calls her, combined an unshakable work ethic with a disarmingly infectious charm. At a glance, they could not have been more different, Ms. Arons, a farm girl from Kansas, Ms. Spade, then Kate Brosnahan, the quintessence of Midwestern prepdom, clad in a pop-collar polo shirt, baggy khakis and Weejuns loafers. 'Whenever I did anything that Katy thought was kind of 'farmy,' she would refer to me as Jethro,' Ms. Arons writes, confiding that she, on the other hand, initially found Ms. Spade's buttoned-up style a trifle dull. Still, the two became all but inseparable, enjoying frat parties, shopping for secondhand clothes — it was all they could afford — and aspiring, like their idol Mary Richards on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' to glam careers in the big city. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
