In the great kingdom of student accessories at Syracuse University, Kate Spade handbags seem to be a dying breed. Instead, Coach, Louis Vuitton and Burberry bags thrive, leaving Kate Spade products at the end of the fashion food chain.

“It was a big trend and it definitely has declined,” said Vanessa Delaine, a freshman fashion design major.

Janith Wright, an assistant professor of fashion design, thinks the decline in the popularity of the Kate Spade brand and the rise of the others on campus reflects the general attitude of the nation.

When America suffers from a poor economy, many consumers take a conservative approach and look to buy products that seem to have value and longevity, like Coach, Wright said. Some consumers consider Kate Spade designs too trendy and impractical, she added.

“We’re entering a very different era after Sept.11,” Wright said. “The advertising changed, and the whole mood has changed.”

The bags, which are sold at stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue and Barneys NY for between $100 and $500, have not been heavily advertised or promoted, and other brands have pushed into the scene.

While Spade was among the pioneers in the handbag industry, her designs may be fading from magazine pages.

“Kate Spade designs don’t see the exposure, and more companies have entered the market,” Wright said. “Kate Spade kind of started the trend, and other companies have picked up on it.”

Delaine believes the fast-paced fashion world and easily-bored consumer also contribute to the brand’s decline. The decline in Kate Spade bags may not be because of lacking advertising, but rather a diminishing ingenuity in her designs.

“Everyone wants something new, and she isn’t really offering it,” she said. “But I’m sure she’ll continue selling a lot, because she’s such a popular name.”

For some, Kate Spade designs will never die.

Carolyn Siegel, a junior fashion design major and peer adviser to the Fashion Association of Design Students, explained while the Kate Spade line is not at the zenith of fashion this year, it will never fade from the scene .

“Whether or not it’s the in thing, you still have your little black tote and you can still be just as stylish with it,” Siegel said. “That’s part of what makes her so successful. She created the handbag version of the little black dress.”

A Kate Spade bag could again become the ultimate accessory to a fashionista’s wardrobe with some promotion, Siegel said.

“All she has to do is come out with a new bag with the right publicity in New York City or Los Angeles,” she said. “All it takes is one little press stunt, and she’s back.”

Spade’s visit to SU, with husband Andy Spade, for the Sue Ann Genet Lecture Series at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in 108 Slocum Hall “very well could” spark a comeback of her designs on campus, Wright said.

Susan Tooley, the administrative assistant for the Genet Lecture Series, said Spade’s visit, as well as upcoming visits from designers Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors, were made possible through Syracuse alumnus Leon Genet.

“Mr. Genet has a great network of retail and fashion design clients and basically asked if they would come speak for his alma mater,” she said. “We had her here a few years ago, and we really enjoyed speaking with her.”

Published on January 21, 2003 at 12:00 pm