Kate Spade New York’s Iconic It-Bag Brings the ‘90s Aesthetic to the Current Era | Vogue

Apr 01, 2025

Some brands are so iconic that it’s easy to forget exactly how they became the household names they are today. Take Kate Spade New York, for example. We all know the Manhattan-based brand has long been loved for its effortless, versatile accessories—but few remember how everyone from It girls to influencers came to own at least one handbag from the quintessential brand.

Rewind 30 years, and the answer is just as relatable and inspiring as the brand itself. Back then, the minimalist aesthetic was just starting to gain traction amongst the New York fashion set—yet it was nearly impossible to find cool accessories to match. If you were looking for a sleek handbag that went with everything from jeans to trench coats to cocktail dresses, you were—to put it mildly—out of luck. That is, until 1993, when an accessories editor named Kate Spade took matters into her own hands and created the prototype for a boxy top-handle tote, a design that would soon become a subversively sleek nylon bag called the Sam. When Spade took the bag to a trade show, it was an instant success—and the brand we now know as Kate Spade New York took off.

Today, the appeal of the brand and its first-ever style holds strong—especially thanks, in part, to fashion’s nonstop obsession with reimagined ’90s and aughts aesthetics. Fitting then that this spring, there’s a whole new batch of Kate Spade New York Sam bags to covet. In fresh colors like Serenity Blue, White Dove, and Yellow Sesame—as well as quintessential black—the current iterations of the Sam Icon bag capture the same masculine-feminine, playful-polished tension as the OG. But this time around, the new generation of reimagined Sam bags are made from 100% recycled nylon for an eco-conscious twist. (Bonus: The collection also features plenty of worthy sidekicks—including a series of easy-to-attach coin purses, key fobs, and bag charms in sweet shapes and surrealist motifs, like hearts, bouquets, or dripping paint brushes.)

Speaking of, the collection’s campaign might just inspire an adventure with your own group of sidekicks—as well as plenty of ideas for styling the Sam bag for today. Photographed on location in the Arizona desert, the documentary-style shots capture a group of besties as they hit the open road in a convertible dressed in a mix of vintage and new pieces—with Sam bags in tow, of course. With a free-spirited, laid-back vibe that nods to the ’90s, the energy is evocative yet thoroughly modern.

It’s an energy the brand’s founder knew well: “Kate always had the sensibility to tap into nostalgia while making sure it wasn’t too cliché. It was presented through a lens of irreverence and artfulness—always clever and nuanced, never too silly or cute, and always with a Kate Spade wink,” explains Whitney Pozgay who, along with fellow former brand colleague Amir Zia, was tapped to work on the campaign. “She and Andy [Spade] had a beautiful way of taking something seemingly traditional and turning it on its head.”

Clearly. There’s a reason, after all, that the best accessories—and brands—never go out of style. Not only are they perpetually versatile, they’re also enduring in their perspective. Yes, the Sam bag still goes with everything. Yes, it’s still impossibly chic. And, yes, it still works for anyone who wants to channel a forward-thinking aesthetic. Best of all, it feels right in line with today’s mood. Just as a true icon should. Just like the Kate Spade New York brand itself always has, both then and now.