Rachel Brosnahan stars in late aunt Kate Spade’s Frances Valentine spring campaign
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rachel Brosnahan stars in her late aunt Kate Spade’s Frances Valentine campaign. (Getty)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan is continuing to honor her late aunt Kate Spade.
The beloved designer tragically died by suicide last June at the age of 55, but her fashion legacy still lives on. While Spade’s namesake brand reissued an iconic handbag in her honor, her Frances Valentine label is keeping its latest collection firmly in the family, with a spring campaign starring Brosnahan.
“I think when you lose someone you love very, very much, you spend a lot of time trying to think about how to keep their spirit alive,” the 28-year-old actress told Hoda Kotb on the “Today” show. “I think in Katy’s case, there is so much of her left behind, and this was an opportunity for us to celebrate her life and her legacy.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RACHEL BROSNAHAN ON 'THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL' SEASON 2
KATE SPADE, THE COMPANY, HONORS LATE STYLE ICON AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK SHOW
Spade launched Frances Valentine in 2016 with her husband, Andy, 56, naming it after her 13-year-old daughter, Frances Beatrix. Designed by the label’s now-CEO Elyce Arons, Spade’s longtime best friend, the colorful, vintage-inspired spring line is inspired by the late fashion icon’s family as well.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I know that Kate had always talked about being inspired by my grandmother June, her mother, ripping things straight out of her closet,” Brosnahan said. “And I feel like that spirit still lives on as well, so it’s really lovely to see those special pieces of our family be reflected in this collection and the ones before.”
Spade snuck in tributes to various members of her family long before Brosnahan became an award-winning television star, so it’s fitting that she would carry on her late aunt’s legacy. “Years ago there was a Rachel bag,” Brosnahan said. “So I think that was probably my first [item from Spade’s brand].”
Before her death, Spade also named a Frances Valentine bag the “Midge,” after her niece’s “Maisel” character; the polished style is prominently featured in the new campaign.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“This was an opportunity for us to celebrate her life and her legacy and how much she meant, not only to us, but to so many other people and the impact she’s had on the fashion industry,” Brosnahan explained. “It was a really special experience and the collection is just beautiful.”
This article originally appeared in Page Six.