kate spade new york in Lake Orion

The kate spade new york story began in 1993 when Kate Brosnahan Spade, then an accessories editor, noticed something missing from the handbag market. She wanted a bag that was practical and functional but still stylish, modern and fun.

So she decided to create one herself.

Among those earliest designs was a simple, boxy black nylon handbag called Sam. Its clean silhouette was refreshingly different from much of what was available at the time, and women — and fashion editors — quickly took notice.

From that deceptively simple beginning, an entirely new lifestyle brand emerged.

Handbags eventually led to wallets, jewelry, shoes, clothing, eyewear, home accessories and gifts, but the personality established in those earliest collections never disappeared. Practicality could coexist with personality. Sophistication could have a sense of humor. And growing up certainly didn't mean giving up your sense of fun.

More than three decades later, that wonderfully optimistic point of view remains unmistakably kate spade.

Perhaps the easiest way to understand kate spade is to expect the unexpected.

A beautifully structured handbag might arrive in an unapologetically bright color. A sophisticated pair of earrings might contain a playful little detail. Something ordinary might suddenly become extraordinary simply because a designer looked at it differently.

And sometimes an accessory exists for no greater reason than because it makes you smile. We happen to think there's tremendous value in that.

Fashion can certainly be elegant and sophisticated — but it can also be a form of self-expression. It can show the world that you're bold. Creative. Classic. Quirky. Romantic. Confident. Or perhaps a little bit of all of them.

kate spade has always made room for women to embrace those different sides of themselves. And that's one of the reasons the brand feels so at home at Boutique Chic.

At the heart of kate spade new york today is a wonderfully simple belief: Joy Colors Life.

Joy doesn't necessarily mean that every day is perfect. Sometimes it's the big moments — a celebration, an accomplishment, a trip you've dreamed about or a milestone you've worked years to reach.

But often it's found in the smallest things. Lunch with a friend. Flowers on the kitchen table. Wearing the earrings that always get compliments. Carrying a bag in a color that makes you ridiculously happy. Finding something completely unnecessary that makes you laugh — and deciding that's reason enough to love it.

kate spade celebrates those moments of joy. But the brand has also recognized something deeper: to genuinely support women's happiness and empowerment, you have to be willing to talk about the times when joy isn't so easy to find.

Since 2013, kate spade new york has made women's mental health and empowerment a central focus of its social-impact work.

The reasoning behind that commitment is powerful. Economic opportunity, education and independence are all incredibly important to empowering women and girls — but they're only part of the picture.

Mental health affects a woman's confidence, resilience, relationships, ability to advocate for herself and ultimately her ability to fully participate in her own life. In other words, helping women thrive means supporting them from the inside out.

That's why kate spade has invested more than $35 million in women's mental health and empowerment initiatives since beginning this work.

Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, community-based programs, research, advocacy and its Global Fund for Women's Mental Health, the company is working to expand access to mental-health resources for women and girls around the world.

Its next goal is ambitious: help 250,000 women and girls gain access to community-based mental-health resources by 2030. It's an extraordinary commitment from a company most people first encounter through a handbag.

There's another part of kate spade's mental-health work we find particularly meaningful: they're willing to talk about it.

Mental health has historically been surrounded by silence, shame and misunderstanding — particularly for women, who are so often expected to continue taking care of everyone and everything around them regardless of what they're experiencing internally.

kate spade has intentionally used its visibility as a global brand to help bring those conversations into the open. Through research, nonprofit partnerships, its Social Impact Council, educational initiatives and global events, the brand advocates for mental health to be recognized as an essential part of women's empowerment rather than something separate from it.

Because asking for help shouldn't be viewed as weakness. Taking care of yourself shouldn't be considered selfish. And a woman shouldn't have to hide the parts of her story that aren't perfectly polished.

That's an important message. Especially from a fashion brand.

One of the things we love most about kate spade is that its social mission doesn't require the brand to abandon the joy and whimsy that made people fall in love with it in the first place.

In fact, the two ideas complement each other beautifully.

kate spade can create the handbag that makes you grin every time you carry it and advocate for women who are struggling to find that joy. It can celebrate confidence while acknowledging that confidence sometimes needs to be rebuilt. It can encourage women to express themselves on the outside while investing in resources that help women care for what's happening on the inside.

That feels very authentic to us. Because fashion isn't going to solve life's biggest problems. But businesses built around fashion can decide what they do with the platform and success they've been given.

And kate spade has chosen to use both to advocate for women.

We'll admit it: the color, whimsy and unexpected details would probably have gotten our attention anyway. kate spade has that wonderful ability to create something sophisticated and then add just enough personality to make it unforgettable — and that fits beautifully into the world of Boutique Chic.

But there's a much bigger reason we're proud to have the brand represented here.

Boutique Chic was built around the belief that we can be intentional about where the products on our shelves come from and who benefits when we purchase them. Sometimes that means carrying a tiny independent company. Sometimes it means introducing you to an artist creating pieces by hand. And sometimes it means choosing an internationally recognized brand that has decided to use its enormous reach to make a difference.

kate spade new york shows us that a company doesn't have to choose between beautiful products and meaningful purpose. You can have both.

So whether you discover a pair of earrings that makes an outfit, an accessory that becomes your new travel essential, a gift that makes your best friend laugh or something wonderfully colorful that you simply couldn't leave behind, there's a bigger story behind that little spade. It's a story about creativity. Individuality. Women. Mental health. And the belief that everyone deserves more moments of joy.

Because sometimes fashion makes you feel beautiful. Sometimes it makes you feel like yourself. And sometimes, it simply makes you smile. Around here, we think all three are worth celebrating.