GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT KATE SPADE LEATHER BAGS

This page will help you distinguish between Kate Spade's leather collections. Sometimes they are difficult to tell apart. Is your smooth leather bag vachetta, or is it glazed caramel? Is your textured bag boarskin, or is it from the Madrid collection? This page will help you figure it out!

Textured Leathers

The most important thing to keep in mind about textured leather is that there are only TWO collections that are made out of boarskin. So all these other textured bags (i.e. "Strada," "Madrid," "Buenos Aires," etc.) are made of calfskin. This is a common mistake among eBay sellers. If your bag is not specifically from the Boarskin collections, it is not made of boarskin.

Here are some photographs of the first Boarskin collection, which was made in 2001 and 2002:

Shown here are the 2001/2002 Pia in Avocado, the Pauline in Pink, and the Sam in Black. Boarskin bags either have a gold stamped Kate Spade New York logo, or they just have an embossed logo with no gold. The texture of these bags is actually not bumpy. It has small indentations where the hair of the pig was. (yummy!) Even though it's a textured bag, it's actually quite a bit smoother than some of Kate's other textured leathers.

The lining in this collection is beige cotton twill, and on the interior there will be a "Made in Italy" label. If your textured leather bag is lined in suede, it is NOT from the '01/'02 Boarskin collection.

Here are some photographs of the Fall 2004 Boarskin collection:

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Strada Leather

The Strada leather collection was a limited edition made in the spring/summer of 2002. These bags are made of calfskin. The Strada collection only came in two colors: yellow and black. These bags are lined in SUEDE and will have a "Made in Italy" tag on the interior. Note the round hardware strap attachments. These bags also have the little gold logo plate.

Madrid Leather


Shown here are the Ruby, Carol and Ariadne shapes. It is important to note that bags from the Madrid leather collection can have either a goldstamped Kate Spade New York logo, or an embossed KS Noel logo. These were produced in 2002 and 2003. They are often mistaken for boarskin bags but they are made of calfskin. They are actually slightly more textured than boarskin bags.

Spring Street Leather

The Spring Street collection is another textured calfskin collection, this time from Spring/Summer '03. Shown here are the Cerise Boxy and Tomato Byrd. This collection is notable for its brown polka dot suede lining.

Buenos Aires

Shown here are the Glady and Tracy Bucket. The notable feature on this collection is the leather bow that is laced through the top of the bags. This is another spring 2003 collection and it is made of calfskin.

Georgetown Leather

Shown here is the small Oliver. This collection was released in the spring of '04 and is still available as of spring '05. There is a large variety of colors. This collection is actually made in China, which is a new location for the manufacture of Kate's leather bags. The bags are lined in black and white striped cotton fabric.


This is a close-up of the texture of Georgetown bags. Again, it is a calfskin collection, not boarskin.

Palm Springs Leather

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This is a close-up of the texture of Palm Springs Leather.

SMOOTH LEATHERS

Patent Leather (vintage)

Spazzolato Collection

Glazed Caramel Leather

Vachetta Leather

The Vachetta leather bags were introduced in the fall of 2001 and continued until the fall of 2002. Shown here is the Vachetta Leather Betsy which retailed for $525 (!). The leather is smooth and matte; it is embossed with the Kate Spade New York logo. Like the abstract links bags, these are lined in red satin and are made in Italy.

e Nara II Leather

Thompson Street Leather

Prague Leather

This collection is from spring/summer 2003, and features half matte leather/half patent leather. I have seen these in black, white and pink; not sure if there are any other colors.

Spectator Leather

Called Spectator for obvious reasons; these were released at the same time as the Prague collection but are all-patent leather.

San Benedetto Collection

This collection debuted with the Resort 2003 bags. The texture is a bit crinkly, similar to the glazed caramel leather bags. The difference is that the San Benedetto leather is very matte, i.e. it does not shine at all. I recall black, taupe, turquoise and red colors in this collection. They are lined in taupe suede; made in Italy of course. This collection debuted the Mae's Messenger shape.

Soho Leather

Dye Cut Leather

Tassel Leather Collection

Marseilles Collection

Stockbridge Leather

Spencer/Spencertown Leather

Verdaro Collection

Crinkle Patent Leather (2004)

LINKS TO LEATHER COLLECTIONS