Elyce Arons, photo by Adam Ward ; We Might Just Make it After All; Simon Doonan, photo by Joe Gaffney
Tickets
General Ticket: $15
Member Ticket: $10
“If you’re as honest and fair as you can be, not only in business but in life, things will work out. I hope people remember me not just as a good businesswoman but as a great friend—and a heck of a lot of fun”
– Kate Spade, Glamour, December 2002
The Church is thrilled to welcome Elyce Arons, fashion entrepreneur, style icon, business mogul, and NY Times best-selling author, to discuss her newly released memoir, We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade. Arons, who launched both Kate Spade and Frances Valentine with her best friend of 40 years, “Katy” Spade, will be interviewed by fashion icon Simon Doonan, with audience questions to follow.
Arons takes readers on a thoughtful and moving journey of friendship and sisterhood to weave together the coming-of-age story of two best friends and their new line of handbags that revolutionized the fashion accessories industry in 1990’s New York City.
Books will be available for purchase and can be signed by the author after the event.
Released June 17th, 2025, the memoir chronicles the powerful forty-year relationship, until Kate’s death in 2018. A celebration of Kate’s legacy as a cultural icon and loyal friend, the book takes readers into a deep dive into resiliency, perseverance, and what it takes to achieve success as a female entrepreneur while exploring the profundity in love and loss.
ABOUT ELYCE ARONS
Elyce Arons is the founder and CEO of Frances Valentine, a New York-based luxury apparel and accessories company. Frances Valentine celebrates the power of personal style through clothes and accessories that boost your mood and tell a story.
A 35-year fashion veteran, Elyce knows a thing or two about business and style. She famously chased her passion for fashion all the way from Kansas to New York City alongside her best friend, Kate, and co-founded Kate Spade in 1993. Elyce shepherded the company from inception to international success, growing it into one of the most iconic brands in modern fashion history—and was instrumental in its 2006 sale to Neiman Marcus Group. In 2016, Elyce, Kate, and Andy Spade launched Frances Valentine as an evolution of their joyful style aesthetic; a brand with heart, soul, and a story to tell.
Elyce has been featured on Good Morning America and The Today Show, and in publications including WWD, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, and Forbes. She lives in NYC with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not running a global brand, you’ll find her gardening, playing tennis, or perusing the colorful stalls of a vintage market.
Photo by Adam Ward
ABOUT SIMON DOONAN
Simon Doonan is the author of many books, including biographies of Keith Haring and Lou Reed, and DRAG, The Complete Story. His newest book is titled The Camp 100 – Glorious Flamboyance, From Louis XIV to Lil Nas X.
A longstanding member of the fashion community, Simon was awarded the prestigious CFDA award for his design work as Creative Director for Barneys New York. A BBC TV comedy series based on his autobiography Beautiful People aired around the world. Simon is a regular guest at The Moth, the well-known storytelling series, and a season regular on the Emmy-nominated NBC competition series Making It starring Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.
Simon lives in the USA with his partner, the ceramicist and designer Jonathan Adler, and their rescue mutt, Foxylady.
Photo by Joe Gaffney