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Andrew Spade
Andrew Spade is a fashion designer who co-founded Kate Spade and Jack Spade. Born in Birmingham, Michigan, he attended Arizona State University, where he met fellow future-fashion designer Katherine Brosnahan. Together, they launched[…]
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I think the kind of stars or idols of today that the magazines are actually putting out there as inspiration, or as examples for people are completely the wrong examples.

Topic: The Media's Malaise

Andrew Spade: I think there’s a big issue in Hollywood and celebrity right now. I think that the examples that are given to young women and young men are . . . are negative and non-inspiring. I think everyone’s aware of this issue, but I think the kind of stars or idols of today that the magazines are actually putting out there as inspiration, or as examples for people are completely the wrong examples. I don’t think that these other people are models for our young people or our future. And it’s no personal judgment toward them. I just don’t like them being held up as being the ones who are perceived as important in our . . . in our culture. But they are right now. We’re living in a tabloid culture, and there’s a lot of that going around. And I think that there’s not respect for privacy. I think that the people who are really interesting are being washed over and looked over for people who are photographic and photogenic. I think that people who are photogenic are taking priority to people who are interesting and who are doing interesting things. And I think that’s unbalanced right now. I think that has to get into balance the same way that the environment is starting to get into balance. We need people out there speaking to, you know, what these people are doing. And those are the real heroes of today. And I wish that US magazine would cover those people equally. And I think that that will come. And I think people will move, as we always have through time, onto something else and “the next thing”. But of late, I think that that’s the problem. It’s about materialism, and it’s about things that aren’t important really. And it’s about things that aren’t helping the environment. And it’s about things that aren’t helping the world move in the right direction. And it’s always been the case; but I feel like today – and maybe it’s because I’m in it and I'm in fashion – it’s putting more priority than they have on it in the past.

Recorded on: 7/12/07

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