Award-winning “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan is the new face of her late aunt Kate Spade‘s label, Frances Valentine, which is named after the iconic designer’s 13-year-old daughter, Frances Beatrix Spade. The actress, 28, whose father, Earl Brosnahan, was Spade’s brother, was tapped to promote the fashion brand’s spring ’19 handbag line.
Brosnahan — who took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series on Sunday — stopped by NBC’s “Today” show to talk about her aunt, who died tragically by suicide at the age of 55 in June 2018, and how the new campaign came together. She was joined by Spade’s best friend and business partner, Elyce Arons.
“When Elyce asked, it just seemed like the most natural thing,” she shared. “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, how they can live on for you, and that’s through memories. But also, in Katy’s case, there is so much of her, and 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 that she’s had on the fashion industry. It was a really special experience, and the collection is just beautiful.”
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“The bags are just stunning,” Brosnahan continued. “They’re bright and colorful and have beautiful shapes. And I know Kate had always talked about being inspired by my grandmother June, her mother, ripping things straight out of her closet, and I feel like that spirit still lives on as well. So it’s really lovely to see those special pieces of our family reflected through this collection and the ones before.”
In the campaign shot above, the actress highlights a square yellow satchel dubbed the “Midge,” which Arons revealed Spade named after her niece’s adored character on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
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