PHOENIX— Arizona State University inducted the co-founders of the global lifestyle brand Kate Spade into its Alumni Hall of Fame.

The ceremony was not only a prestigious honor for the inductees, but also a time for remembering the legacy of Kate Spade, the founder of the brand who died in 2018.

Elyce Arons, company co-founder and friend of Spade, accepted her award in the First Amendment Forum while Andy Spade, her husband and business partner, accepted the award on her behalf.

Arons has used her brand and work to keep the memory of Spade alive and honor her.

“You know, I hear her in my ear every single day,” Arons said. “When we’re working on different designs I look at it and I think would she like that color yellow? Would Katie like this? Would she wear this skirt? What would she pair it with? She’s always in my head.”

After her passing, Arons also created the “Love Katie Collection” which was centered around sentimental pieces that were worn by Spade and important to Arons.

“One of the things that I wanted to do as a tribute to her was make something special,” Arons said. “I feel like Katie’s still with me doing it because a lot of them were her vintage pieces and things we’ve collected together over the years.”

The loss of Spade has continued to impact her loved ones, the fashion industry and students at Walter Cronkite.

Student Mia Osmonbekov initially did not plan to attend the event but found herself drawn to it because of its bittersweet nature, even taking the opportunity to ask Arons how she managed to make space for her grief.

For Arons, the answer came in her book “We Might Just Make it After All,” a story of her history and friendship with Spade she began working on five years after losing her.

At first, Arons said she thought writing it would be difficult but it ended up helping her deal with her grief.

“It was actually one of the best things I could have ever done, because I remembered all
the good times we had and all the high points, and it helped me focus on her life and not on how she left us,” Arons said.


The enjoyment of her time at the school was not without its hardships, as much of it was spent working waitress jobs to pay tuition and make ends meet. Despite the hardship, Arons now views it as the best time of her life.

“There were so many struggles, but you look back and you think those were the best times of all,” Arons said.

Arons and Spade have not only accomplished many things over their career, but also have been a source of pride for students.

Pucci said that she was in the same sorority during her time at the school that Spade was once a part of and how important that was to her and her sorority sisters.

“I remember when I was a new member, we were so overwhelmed with pride to be able to say, ‘well, we’re in the same sorority as Kate Spade,’” Pucci said.

Arons credits much of her journey to her time as a journalism student at Cronkite.

“Journalism is a fantastic training for life,” Arons said. “You learn how to listen; you learn how to read the room and to pivot when the story changes.”

When talking about the two newest Hall of Fame Alumnae, Dean Battinto Batts said that both women have carried the spirit of the school with them long after their graduation in 1986.

“No matter where their careers have taken them, they continue to embody the highest standards and values instilled right here at the Cronkite School,” Batts said.