A New York State of Mind: Kate Spade x Darcel Collection

A New York State of Mind: It’s hard to define and different for every person in the City that Never Sleeps. For me, it’s that feeling of wonder that I get when I walk down the streets, buildings towering over me. It’s that sense of belonging when I sit on a bench in Central Park and people watch the afternoon away. But most of all, it’s the excitement of a fast-paced city where discovery is just a taxi cab away and there’s a hot dog vendor on every block.

One of my favorite designers, Kate Spade New York, decided to play homage to their namesake in their latest collection by celebrating all things New York City. But to bring it to life in a way that only Kate Spade can, they partnered with New York artist Craig Redman, well-known for his pop-style, alien-like characters on his blog, Darcel Disappoints. The result? A larger than life, bold and playful collection that pays tribute to New York in the form of apples, donuts, and hot dogs.

To celebrate the launch of this new line, Kate Spade set off on a cross-country tour in a yellow and pink traveling kiosk. Topped with a giant pink donut, this food truck-style vehicle featured items from the KSNY x Darcel collection and offered fans a free mini donut for visiting. They also partnered with the Snaps! photo app for an exclusive photo booth at which anyone could add KSNY x Darcel graphics to their photos and upload them to their own social media.

By following Kate Spade’s Twitter and the hashtag #wheresthatgirl, anyone could find the traveling kiosk as it roamed the streets of New York City, visiting popular spots in Brooklyn, Soho, and Manhattan. Following its tour around New York, it took off to City of Angels, where the truck was part of the Teen Vogue Back to School Saturday at The Grove, a popular LA shopping center.

At The Grove, fans – including my fellow Kate Spade fanatic best friend and me – lined up anxiously to get their free donut and a glimpse at the collection. Along the way, we got to meet some of the executives from the Kate Spade offices in New York and talked all about our favorite Kate designs (mine is Eat Cake for Breakfast). We each got our donut, stared longingly at the new items (#brokecollegestudent), and tweeted and instagrammed away like the true social media addicts that we are.

To have a little piece of New York in LA is always fun for the city girl in me. Yes, I am one of those people who dreams of living in New York, riding the subway in designer duds with my Starbucks and bagel in hand. This new collection from Kate Spade captures that New York State of Mind in a whimsical way, bringing the wonder and excitement of the Big Apple to fashion lovers everywhere!

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