New CEO takes charge

Eva Erdmann became CEO of Kate Spade New York in fall two thousand twenty-four, tasked with turning around the Tapestry-owned brand after multiple quarters of revenue decline.

Gen Z is the target

Erdmann believes Gen Z is the most influential generation ever in history and is targeting young women nostalgic for the nineteen nineties and attracted to the brand's whimsy.

Celebrity ambassadors

South African singer Tyla recently became a brand ambassador. Other campaigns have featured Ice Spice, Laufey, and Charli D'Amelio to reach younger audiences.

Joy in uncertain times

Erdmann says a brand bringing optimism, joy and lightness has a role to play, especially today when the world feels heavy, uncertain, fragmented and isolated.

“Today, in this world, where everything feels very heavy and uncertain and fragmented and isolated at the same time, I think that a brand that brings optimism and joy and lightness has a role to play.”

Brand heritage and fun

Kate Spade is tapping into its New York City heritage with products like a bagel-shaped bag charm and a wallet designed to look like a Metro Card, combining function with whimsy.

The brand's origins

Kate Spade was launched in nineteen ninety-three with just six handbag designs. The founders sold it to Neiman Marcus in two thousand six, then Liz Claiborne, then Tapestry for two point four billion dollars in…

Designer's legacy

Designer Kate Spade died in twenty eighteen, having changed her name to Kate Valentine in twenty sixteen to separate the two worlds of her personal and professional life.

Erdmann's background

Erdmann made the leap to Kate Spade from the beauty business, having spent much of her career at L'Oréal, most recently serving as global president of Urban Decay.

Lessons from beauty

From her L'Oréal background, Erdmann brought discipline around the consumer, testing before investing, and building hero products that create long-term trust with customers.

Emotional connection discovered

Before joining, Erdmann noticed people told stories about Kate Spade bags tied to life moments. After joining, she found the brand receives thousands of letters monthly from consumers expressing love for it.

The nineteen nineties revolution

Kate Spade brought a new vision of femininity in the nineteen nineties when success required dressing like a man. She offered functional handbags with femininity and wit, freeing women to be both feminine and ambitious.

Respecting the essence

Erdmann says you must move forward and look backwards, respecting the brand's true essence while modernizing it. She spends hours unboxing original bags to understand the thoughtful details and vision.

Market entry positioning

Twenty five million young women turn eighteen every year looking for their first luxury handbag. Kate Spade positions itself at that moment of market entry, a positioning not everyone can claim.

Turnaround strategy

Erdmann is strengthening the product, elevating store experience, reducing promotion dependency, upgrading talent, and investing in brand marketing. She is intentionally closing unprofitable stores to rebuild for long-term health.

Reinforcing key teams

Erdmann is reinforcing marketing, design, and consumer insight teams. She believes testing before investing is critical during transformation, allowing the brand to move fast while managing risk.

Gen Z's influence spreads

Data shows Gen Z is the most influential generation ever in history. When Kate Spade becomes relevant and appealing to Gen Z, there is a trickle down effect on Millennials and Gen X.

Nostalgia for connection

Gen Z is nostalgic for a moment they never lived, when there were no phones in high schools and people had real-life moments without digital documentation. Kate Spade can offer that connection.

Tracking brand health

As CEO, Erdmann tracks leading indicators of brand health including consumer connection, consideration, engagement, and Google search patterns. She also monitors team engagement, viewing brand transformation as fundamentally human.