When the Kate Spade New York x Target collaboration hits shelves on April 12 after two years in the making, lunge for the bags first.
There will be a lot of brightly-colored pieces to sift through—more than 300, in fact, ranging from delightful polka dotted dresses and printed matching sets to equally cheery home decor. But the bags—some entirely beaded, others in a flexible striped knit—are the standouts.
Kate Spade, after all, rewrote accessory history with the square-shaped nylon Sam bag's debut in 1993. Decades after Gwyneth Paltrow and the Olsen twins were among its earliest '90s-era adopters, 2025 stars like Nicola Coughlan, Gabrielle Union, and Ayo Edebiri are still toting the Sam bag in earnest.
The Target collaboration keeps Kate Spade's signature top handles and ladylike box silhouettes. But these styles aren't quite as minimally-leaning as their predecessors. Contrasting black-and-white trims and a slew of cherry bag charms meet today's demand for personalized (and personality) bags.
An under-$100 ticket to spring's nostalgic bag trends isn't all this collab has to offer. (Though the prices are welcome in a recessionary fashion landscape: More than half the pieces are less than $15.) Target x Kate Spade is also one of the most inclusive pairings to hit the mass retailer's shelves. A press release for the collection confirms sizing ranges from 00-30.
"With versatile pieces that work for every occasion and can't-miss prices, this partnership brings together Kate Spade's signature style with Target's legacy of making the best design accessible to all," Jil Sando, Target executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, said in a press release.
Dozens of notable alumni have taken their staple pieces to Target's designer collaboration program since the inaugural collection in 1999. Some years have gone the capital-R runway route with lines from Anna Sui, Proenza Schouler, and one of its all-time best sellers, Missoni. Several designers, like current Gap creative director Zac Posen and Isaac Mizrahi, teamed up with Target while running eponymous fashion brands that have since shuttered. Then there are the emerging, cool-girl brands who hit the mass-market bull's eye with a Target deal—like the British dress experts at Rixo and Sergio Hudson, an expert in technicolor tailoring.
Kate Spade's Target collaboration arrives at a time when late '90s and early Y2K nostalgia are at an all-time high in fashion. It's the perfect environment for the no-nonsense Sam bag to rise again. And if anyone misses the impulse buy versions, don't worry. The $158 original are still very much in stock—and clearly timeless.
The Target x Kate Spade collaboration arrives April 12 in Target stores and online. The entire collection lookbook is available at Target now.
