September 07, 2022 03:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time
The pair serve on the Ideation Studio and spearhead the development of all product collections, with Mora serving as SVP and Head of Design, RTW and Lifestyle Categories, and Lyu as SVP and Head of Design, Leather Goods and Accessories.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–kate spade new york introduces the official appointment of industry veterans, Tom Mora and Jennifer Lyu, who are partnering as the principal designers for all kate spade new york product categories.
In his role, Mora oversees design direction for kate spade new york ready-to-wear, footwear, jewelry, home and licensed lifestyle categories. Lyu leads design for the brand’s iconic handbags and accessories collections. Leaning into kate spade new york’s heritage brand codes, the creative duo partner to infuse their own fresh perspectives on femininity, color, print, wit and joyful design throughout seasonal collections, while driving newness and establishing a cohesive design language across product categories.
Tom and Jennifer serve as members of the brand’s Ideation Studio – formed by CEO Liz Fraser in Spring 2021 – which is a core group of creative leads from design, concept + strategy, brand creative, merchandising and marketing, who work together to define kate spade new york’s year-long and seasonal narratives, offering consistent and cohesive storytelling cues that the customer can relate to and feel inspired by, allowing her to then create the stories that make them her own.
“The Ideation Studio is designed to enable deeper storytelling and drive collaboration across all touchpoints to meet the customer’s emotional and functional needs,” says kate spade new york CEO and Brand President, Liz Fraser. “It’s a reimagining of how a global brand of our size can be structured in today’s world – allowing us to lead as a community of creatives – and we’re thrilled with the traction that we’re already seeing.”
Fraser continues, “Tom and Jennifer have both been serving as key members of the kate spade new york design team, and we’re thrilled to announce their official roles as SVP and Head of Product Design across their respective categories. Each came to the brand with extensive knowledge of the industry and a strong understanding of how women today want to express themselves. As a brand, we are constantly thinking about what we are doing for tomorrow, and we are continuing to evolve and reimagine how we can deliver the magic of kate spade new york for our customers around the globe. We are thrilled to embark on our next chapter with these two creative visionaries leading product design, and are excited to see how they bring their own unique perspectives of the kate spade new york spirit to the brand, our future collections, and most importantly, our community.”
“For nearly 30 years, women around the world have known and loved kate spade new york for the spirit that it reflects and the confidence it exudes, and I have always admired that,” explains Tom Mora. “We as a brand have a strong understanding of our customer and what she wants from us – she is real, she is adventurous, and she wants to experiment with fashion. As Jennifer and I unveil our seasonal collections, we will continue to ground our work in these brand values, while evolving kate spade new york’s approach to style. I love seeing our designs come to life in the many ways that women can make the product their own.”
Jennifer Lyu adds, “kate spade new york is a brand that combines emotional storytelling with high quality craftsmanship, and engages an incredibly passionate community of people around the globe. Our customer is a go-getter with an intrepid lifestyle. She balances her life with an appetite for new experiences and thoughtful consideration of her responsibilities. She leads with style, flair and confidence across everything she does and touches. She is choosing kate spade for the inspiration we provide to express herself and her personal style. This provides an endless source of inspiration for me as a designer, as I continue to ask how to be of service to our customers. How do we inspire joy, hope and strength? I am excited to capture this spirit of the kate spade customer by honoring our brand values and establishing a unique handwriting for the brand.”
Mora and Lyu continue to build upon the legacy of kate spade new york by introducing emotionally-driven products that bring joy to the everyday. Their designs will be showcased during the brand’s upcoming spring 2023 collection presentation at New York Fashion Week on September 9.
About Tom Mora, SVP and Head of Design, RTW and Lifestyle Categories:
As SVP and Head of Design, RTW & Lifestyle Categories, Tom Mora is creating a clear and cohesive aesthetic for kate spade new york. With over 30 years of design experience, Mora is an industry veteran with a unique understanding of American fashion and a predilection for color and joyful, feminine designs.
In his role, Mora leads and creatively directs ready-to-wear, footwear, jewelry, home and licensed fashion product categories for the global lifestyle brand, and in partnership with Jennifer Lyu, Head of Accessories Design, is integral in redefining the brand vision and creating a consistent language across all product categories.
With each season, Mora looks to the brand’s DNA to reimagine signature codes and infuse a fresh perspective into the assortment, creating a thoughtful tension through his use of unexpected colors and graphic patterns. He finds daily inspiration in the countless ways women express their individuality, taking cues from different emotional facets to enhance their spirit.
After spearheading design teams at a number of leading fashion brands, Mora brings his years of experience, unique vision and mastery to kate spade new york. Prior to joining kate spade new york, Mora served as the Creative Director of Women’s and Licensed Product at Cole Haan, overseeing seasonal collections, advertising and visual presentation. A graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, Mora has previously held positions at Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and J.Crew, where he spent 14 years.
Mora and his husband Richard currently reside in New York City with their dog, Ash.
About Jennifer Lyu, SVP and Head of Design, Accessories:
As SVP and Head of Design, Accessories at kate spade new york, Jennifer Lyu leads the brand’s handbag, small leather goods and tech categories. With over 25 years in fashion design, Lyu is a seasoned industry figure whose experience is deeply rooted in concepting timeless and iconic products that offer quality craftsmanship and high-value aesthetics through an artisan lens. She is a skilled brand handwriting expert, with an eye for detail that brings a beautiful, luxury hand to her products.
With each seasonal collection, Lyu lends a multi-dimensional approach to the brand’s distinct heritage in handbags and accessories, balancing the customer’s everyday needs with wit and whimsy to ultimately enhance her spirit of joy, playfulness and femininity. In partnership with Tom Mora, Head of RTW and Lifestyle Design, she is focused on reimagining kate spade new york’s design philosophy and creating a cohesive language across categories.
Lyu brings to the brand an expertise and clarity in handbag design and a strong attention to detail, all of which shape her collections for kate spade new york as she drives the brand forward.
Jennifer joined kate spade new york from Tory Burch where she led design for handbags and small leather goods. Prior to that, Jennifer held various design leadership roles at 3.1 Phillip Lim across Women’s and Men’s categories including Accessories, Footwear and RTW. Earlier in her career, Jennifer held senior design roles at Emilio Pucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada.
Lyu currently resides in New York City with her family.
About Kate Spade New York:
Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always stood for color, wit, optimism, and femininity. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand synonymous with joy, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, gifts, home décor and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view, and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles. Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry house of brands.
