How I Built This, With Kate Spade

We were so saddened by the news morning, so we decided to commemorate Kate Spade's amazing work and legacy by bringing you one of her greatest interviews to you. In this podcast episode, Guy Raz talks to Kate and Andy Spade, the mogul duo behind the immensely successful Kate Spade New York empire, of iconic and classic handbag fame.

As they discuss, their journey wasn't all smooth sailing. After resigning from her fashion editor role for a New York magazine, Kate took the gamble to try launching her own business, starting off with handbags. Out for dinner one night in 1991, Kate and Andy decided to make a go of it, asking "what's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer: a simple and modern-shaped handbag without all the fuss. Through sleepless nights, hard work, investing their own hard-earned money, the design shows, manual work packing and posting, and turning their New York apartment into their office, knock-backs and moments of wanting to quit, they came out the other side with a global brand.

It's really interesting to hear the candid truth behind launching a successful label, with the uncertainty and risks involved in the mix. Not only were Kate and Andy business partners, they managed to sustain their relationship through both the good times and the tough. They have sold out from the company and have started a new line Frances Valentine - and have planned to continue their journey in the fashion world....

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Sadly we never know what goes on behind those curtains and what struggles people might face even in their seemingly perfect lives. We come to realise again that fame, success, money can't give us long-lasting happiness because we will always seek real fulfilment. The type of happiness that comes from within... from a confident, curious and positive mind, the one which we need to nurture and look after. We should always take time out for ourselves, to shut the noise out and strive to keep a healthy balance in our lives.

What will you do today to keep you happy?