It’s official: Everyone’s first Kate Spade New York bag is back in style. At the brand’s Spring 2018 presentation during New York Fashion Week, Chief Creative Officer Deborah Lloyd revealed that the iconic Sam tote—yes, that boxy, nylon handbag you swung around with such glee back in the day—will make a triumphant return, just in time for the company’s 25th anniversary.
At this point, we’re pretty used to seeing nostalgic trends crop up on the Fashion Week runways, but the return of the Sam bag is one worthy of our collective excitement: This black, waterproof tote put Kate Spade New York on the map when it first appeared in the early ’90s. And though it’s been off the brand’s shelves for a while now, shoppers freak out every time the style pops up on the resale market. (While Nordstrom seems to have left their sale page up, the Sam hasn’t been sold as-new in years.)
Lloyd knows how attached we all were to our first Kate Spade New York handbag—and how eager brand loyalists are for the Sam’s comeback. “I think that bag started Kate Spade 25 years ago, but it’s still relevant today,” she tells Glamour backstage at the Spring 2018 presentation in New York “So many people that speak to you about that bag say, ‘Oh my goodness, it was my first bag!’ It became one of the first it bags.” She says that customers “are always wanting to see the Sam back [again].”
In the designer’s mind, the Sam bag falls among the Kate Spade New York classics—”something that a girl goes back to again and again,” she explains. “It really is her go-to piece that she can trust, that will get her through the day. So whether it is the perfect dress from Kate Spade, whether it’s a pair of shoes, whether it is that Sam bag, it’s her trusty companion that makes her feel good about herself.”
But the 2018 version of the Sam won’t look exactly like the one you wore to bits in middle school: Lloyd promises that there are plenty of modern updates to the classic, including new materials like leather, wicker, and all sorts of embroidery. “With fashion, everything needs a little bit of an evolution, because what you pick up [from] 25 years ago doesn’t always look right,” she jokes of the O.G. Sam. “So there was a little bit of an evolution in how we manufactured it. But basically, we have the classic Sam in the black nylon come back with a new logo treatment, which is loud and proud! [And] we have played with it as our palette to express the year.”
Of course, any Sam needs a full look to pair it with—so Lloyd says there’s plenty of exciting ready-to-wear alongside the beloved tote in Kate Spade New York’s latest collection. The look to cop? Flora and fauna prints and bold colors inspired by a road trip around the United States—starting in New Orleans. “I love the spirit of this collection, which is based on New Orleans and Southern charm,” Lloyd says. “We’re an American brand at heart, so it’s really nice to celebrate America and the American girl, for this 25th anniversary.” (To get into the theme, a New Orleans brass band ushered in the Spring 2018 models, and guests snacked on beignets and coffee at the presentation.)
While we can’t get our hands on the newest Sam bag iteration just yet (think of all the #TBT photo opportunities!), there are plenty of gorgeous photos from Kate Spade New York’s Spring 2018 presentation to obsess over until then. And when they’re finally on the market, they’ll go quick—so get ready.
Related Stories:
Everlane Just Launched the $68 Jeans You’ll Want to Live In
Karl Lagerfeld Made Bouclé Vans, Naturally
Last NYFW, Fashion Got Political—Now What?
Source link