The man who helped shape the Kate Spade brand—and his own men's line—talks about his influences
Step into the Jack Spade store in New York City and you’ll see a battered couch, repaired frat-house-style with duct tape, claiming center stage. Taxidermy adorns the walls, and tucked among the bric-a-brac are bags, briefcases, shirts, ties, and other accessories rendered in a design mix of high and low for purposes practical and not. But if anyone has earned the right to try a fanciful take on merchandising, it’s Andy Spade, who, as husband of designer Kate and CEO of the Kate Spade brand, turned a shoestring operation into a $200-million-a-year business. In 1999, the company spun off Jack Spade—named partly after Jack Kerouac, one of Andy’s heroes—with a line of simple, stylish bags. Now the brand has expanded to include ties, wallets, and even films. Here’s a look at the wide range of things from which Andy draws his inspiration.
SHIRT Spade favors the versatility of cotton oxford shirts. “I like the heavy weight of oxford cloth, and it just gets better and better with each wash,” he says. “Brooks Brothers makes a good one. I like the pink and blue in Princeton stripe.” brooksbrothers.com
RUNNING SHOES Spade calls the New Balance 991 the “most dependable, incredibly comfortable running shoes ever made.” Plus, they double as a style piece—or an antistyle piece, as the case may be. “They scream ‘I’m not hip,’ ” he says. newbalance.com
WATCH Spade’s preferred wrist pieces are of military provenance. “One of my favorites is a black-dial military Elgin, made around 1943,” says Spade. “This Elgin has a ribbed bezel and a hack setting, which allowed soldiers to synchronize their watches.”
ESCAPE “A few years back, I came across a dinosaur park called the Prehistoric Forest, in northern Ohio,” says Spade. “It features more than two dozen ceramic dinosaurs designed by James Q. Sidwell. They are situated throughout the forest in a manner meant to mimic their natural habitat—a Jurassic Park frozen in time. It’s my favorite place to take my daughter.” prehistoricforest.com
CASUAL SHOES “I like shoes that can be worn with khakis, jeans, or a suit,” says Spade, “like the Alden plain-toe blucher oxford in shell cordovan. It’s just a simple, straightforward shoe.” aldenshoe.com
Step into the Jack Spade store in New York City and you’ll see a battered couch, repaired frat-house-style with duct tape, claiming center stage. Taxidermy adorns the walls, and tucked among the bric-a-brac are bags, briefcases, shirts, ties, and other accessories rendered in a design mix of high and low for purposes practical and not. But if anyone has earned the right to try a fanciful take on merchandising, it’s Andy Spade, who, as husband of designer Kate and CEO of the Kate Spade brand, turned a shoestring operation into a $200-million-a-year business. In 1999, the company spun off Jack Spade—named partly after Jack Kerouac, one of Andy’s heroes—with a line of simple, stylish bags. Now the brand has expanded to include ties, wallets, and even films. Here’s a look at the wide range of things from which Andy draws his inspiration.
