Kate Spade names two new head product designers

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Sep 8, 2022

Kate Spade New York announced on Wednesday the appointment of industry veterans, Tom Mora and Jennifer Lyu, as head product designers for the global lifestyle brand. 

Together, as the principal designers for all product categories, Mora oversees design direction for ready-to-wear, footwear, jewelry, home and licensed lifestyle categories, while Lyu leads design for the brand’s iconic handbags and accessories collections.

As partners, the duo will infuse their own fresh perspectives throughout seasonal collections, with a focus on driving newness and establishing a cohesive design language across product categories. Their first designs will be showcased during the brand’s upcoming spring 2023 collection presentation at New York Fashion Week on September 9.

Mora and Lyu currently serve as members of the brand’s Ideation Studio - formed by CEO Liz Fraser in Spring 2021 – which aims to define the brand’s year-long and seasonal narratives, offering consistent and cohesive storytelling cues for customers.

“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,” said Fraser. 

Prior to joining Kate Spade, Mora served as the creative director of women’s and licensed product at Cole Haan, overseeing seasonal collections, advertising and visual presentation. He has also previously held positions at Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and J.Crew, where he spent 14 years.

Likewise, Lyu joins Kate Spade from Tory Burch, where she led design for handbags and small leather goods. Prior to that, she 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, Lyu held senior design roles at Emilio Pucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada.

“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,” said 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.”