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At Kate Spade, Everything’s Coming Up Roses - and Poppies - For Spring

Kate and Andy Spade know a thing or two about designing cool, covetable accessories, as witnessed by the runaway success of their decade-old, his-and-hers accessories lines, Kate Spade and Jack Spade.

Not surprisingly, the couple also knows a thing or two about entertaining, if the buffet breakfast they hosted on Thursday, September 14th to preview their Spring 2007 collections is any indication.

Throwing open the doors of their super chic Flatiron District showroom to fashion week-weary buyers and editors, the duo served up tasty treats - lobster tarts, bacon-and-egg custard, mimosas and bloody marys - along with tasty totes and togs.

For the ladies, Kate Spade Spring 2007 offers lobster-festooned sandals and bags - in casual straw and dressier fabric prints - along with mod patent leather-look PVC suitcases, leather-trimmed wicker barrel bags with cool metal clasps, striped canvas carryalls, Mondrian-inspired metallic satchels, and funky plaid purses with matching pumps.

The Jack Spade collection, meanwhile, is more utilitarian and streetwise, in keeping with its humble beginnings. The original Jack Spade bag was sold in hardware stores, and Spring 2007 features an orange canvas “hardware” collection of messenger bags and backpacks, along with the tongue-in-chic Canal Street collection (an haute takeoff on the plaid plastic carryalls, faux Rolexes and counterfeit Von Dutch caps sold in New York City’s Chinatown), and the aptly-named Trash Bag, an oversized tote boasting a photo-realist garbage print.

There are his-and-hers collaborations, too, in the form of Jack Spade fabric-covered Kryptonite bike locks and Kate Spade’s pretty totes - in canvas or clear plastic - splashed with a bold poppy print by celebrated British artist Hugo Guinness.

“We’re huge fans of his work and Andy’s a good friend of his, so we wanted to do more with him,” said Kate Spade of their second Guinness collaboration. “The canvas is very much like what he does [in his paintings] - the off-white background with the black. And then we thought it would be really great to do it in clear to give it a little bit more pop.”

And with that, the always-charming designer popped a lobster tartlet in her mouth and turned to greet the line of fashion friends who were waiting to pay their respects.

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