kate spade

Kate Spade Opens Flagship in Seoul

A mannequin holds a Kate Spade New York canvas tote bag which was specially made for the opening of its flagship store in Seoul.

/ Korea Times Photo
by Cathy Rose A. Garcia

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

The chic cafes and quaint boutiques along Garosul, Sinsa-dong, have a new and extremely fashionable neighbor ― Kate Spade New York.

Kate Spade New York, the classic but fun and fashionable line of handbags, accessories, shoes and clothes, has found a new home on the famous tree-lined street.

The first Kate Spade flagship store in Seoul opened on Sept. 3. Unlike other luxury brands which opt to establish their main stores in posh Cheongdam-dong, Kate Spade opted to bring its store to the one of the most popular areas for young women.

Erin Moffett, senior account executive for international sales at Kate Spade, said they fell in love with the quaint atmosphere and stylish vibe of Garosu.

``We're really happy with the store in this area. We love the galleries and coffee shops. The Kate Spade girl loves New York and now she loves Seoul. She loves to explore the city and lovely streets like this,'' she told The Korea Times.

Kate Spade has already been available in Southeast Asia and Japan for years, but it's only this year that it came to Korea. ``We've been in Southeast Asia and Japan, so the next step was to open in Korea. Seoul is an amazing city. We felt it was a great time to enter the market,'' Moffett said.

The brand has introduced its fall collection with the theme ``Give it a Whirl.'' The shelves are lined with handbags in classic shapes with whimsical details that will delight bag-lovers everywhere. There's a cute canvas tote with daisy appliqu?s, a charming patent pink Bon Vivant Lilia bag with a thin bow and a purple nylon Bowrama Louisa tote.

The new apparel collection for fall is also being introduced in Seoul. Signature looks include a pretty silk polka-dot A-line dress with ruffles, a cropped faux fur jacket, a zebra print coat, and a balloon sleeve bow top. The collection offers a mix of retro yet ultra-modern styles that would be perfect for Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf.

Women can complete the look with gorgeous footwear like the classic Genny suede platform pumps, black Nikki patent flats and Newbury flat in brown tweed. The striking Kate Spade jewelry, such as chunky charm bracelets, cuffs, earrings and cocktail rings, are charming accents to any outfit.

To commemorate the opening of the store, a limited edition canvas tote bag is on sale. ``Seoul'' is emblazoned on one side, while ``NYC''' is on the other. Inside the bag, there's a list of ``Top 10 Things We Love to do'' in the two cities.

The to-do list for Seoul includes: ``practicing your triple lutz at Lotte World''; ``walking across a lotus pond at Gyeongbok Palace''; and ``an evening stroll along Cheongye Stream.'' For New York, the list includes ``day-dreaming in the lobby at the Chelsea Hotel'' and ``lying under the blue whale at the Museum of Natural History.''

It's this combination of ``wit, playful sophistication and utility'' that the Kate Spade brand is known for. The brand was established by former Mademoiselle magazine accessories editor Kate Brosnahan and her husband Andy Spade in 1993. In 2007, it was acquired by Liz Claiborne, and Deborah Lloyd took over as creative director and co-president.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr