Beyond being a foodie, I would consider myself to also be a fashion enthusiast. I fell in love with Kate Spade’s designs from a decently young age. Her polka-dotted funkiness, classic designs, and bright color schemes spoke to my style. Beyond that, another thing I loved about her were her little quotes.
At first, I thought her sayings just made for great fashion labels, but as I dove deeper into a few of them, I noticed just how empowering they are. So now I want to share my observations with you. Here are three of her most famous food quotes and why I think they are important mantras to incorporate into daily life.
“Eat cake for breakfast”
For fun, I actually decided to take this advice literally. I woke up one morning and grabbed a carrot cupcake that my mom sent me for my birthday. That little cake and a cup of coffee was my breakfast before class and it made me very happy. I’m not advocating starting every day with a cupcake, but “Eat cake for breakfast” holds some truth to it. It essentially means do something purely for the fact that it makes you happy.
In this day and age, I find that society has a lot of subtle rules, especially in regard to what women should look or act like. Even though social movements are trying to push away these norms, they are unfortunately still prevalent.
Some examples are the stigma around tattoos in the workplace, the underproduction of fashionable plus-size clothing, and a general existence of photoshopped images on magazine covers. These “rules” of how to look are all around us.
Everyone needs to embrace “cake for breakfast.” We all need to sometimes stop and think if a societal “rule” is helping or hurting our way of life. Sometimes it’s beneficial to change the norm, speak up and say what it is that you want to do. So I challenge you to trade in your Greek yogurt for some red velvet, either literally or metaphorically.
“She had a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair”
Everyone these days seems so serious. I constantly hear my peers talking about the endless hours of studying they still have to do. My relatives at family gatherings are always saying how overworked they are.
Don’t get me wrong, working hard is important. Giving your all to a task or a job is very notable and important for your career and future. But sometimes the work goes too far and there is no longer any play. I’d argue that everyone needs a little party in their life, no matter how old you are or what job you have.
Party can be anything from a physical party to a warm bath to a brunch with old friends. Anything that allows you to relax and leave the stress of your “work brain” will be time well spent. It’s important to take a break and smile or laugh, as life is too short to be stressed around the clock.
“She serves champagne with pizza and eats takeout on china”
This quote speaks to me due to the fact that it blends glamour with wholesomeness. Both living the high life and staying down to earth are important for a balanced life. Mixing the rich and the real is not always as easy as it is to shift to one side. If a person is too far on the “rich” side, they may be seen as superficial, but if they are too far on the “real” side then people will almost pity them.
I’d like to disclose that neither of these observations are true. To define someone based of perceived wealth is ridiculous. The most important part of this quote is the fact that for once it’s saying nobody is one or the other. Everyone has a little bit of both in him or her. And both can be combined to create a beautiful and fulfilling life.
The Takeaway
Quotes don't have to be mind blowingly deep to have an impact. In fact, sometimes the simplest statements hold the greatest truth. Kate Spade advocates lightening up, having fun, staying grounded, and being happy throughout all of her sayings. It's for this that I respect her so much as a designer.