How Kate Spade CEO Eva Erdmann Is Using the Brand's Heritage to Target Gen Z

—Courtesy Kate Spade New York Eva Erdmann took the helm at Kate Spade New York in the fall of 2024, and has been tasked with leading a turnaround at the fashion brand, owned by Tapestry .

The brand’s revenue has been in decline for multiple quarters, but Erdmann is looking to right the ship by streamlining the business and targeting Gen Z consumers nostalgic for the ’90s and attracted to the whimsy of the brand.

South African singer Tyla recently became a brand ambassador, and other campaigns have featured Ice Spice , Laufey , and Charli D’Amelio .

Whether it’s in fashion, culture, or politics, “Gen Z is the most influential generation ever in history,” Erdmann believes.

She is also tapping into the brand’s sense of fun, from animal-shaped bags to accessories that nod to Kate Spade’s New York City heritage, like a bagel-shaped bag charm or a wallet designed to look like a Metro Card.

“Today, in this world, where everything feels very heavy and uncertain and fragmented and isolated at the same time, I think that a brand that brings optimism and joy and lightness has a role to play—has always had a role to play—but even more today, and that's really what we are building at at Kate Spade,” Erdmann says.

The brand, named after co-founder Kate Spade, was launched in 1993 with just six handbag designs.

The founders sold it to Neiman Marcus in 2006.

The business was later bought by Liz Claiborne, which was then acquired by Tapestry for $2.4 billion in 2017.

Designer Spade died in 2018 , having changed her name to Kate Valentine in 2016 to "separate the two worlds." The fashion brand has become known the world over.

“I deeply believe that great brands do more than selling products,” says Erdmann.

“They shape culture…they bring a vision on the world, they help people feel differently about themselves, or they solve something for them.” Erdmann made the leap to Kate Spade New York from the beauty business, having spent much of her career at L'Oréal, most recently serving as global president of Urban Decay at the company.

TIME spoke with her earlier this year about navigating that transition, her turnaround effort, and how she’s seeking to preserve the brand’s history. (This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.) You've now been in your role coming up to a couple of years.

You were previously at L'Oréal.