Kate Spade named Allison Badea as its new chief marketing officer. Badea brings years of experience from L'Oréal, where she most recently served as global senior vice president of brand experience for Maybelline New York, per a LinkedIn post from Kate Spade earlier this week.
“Kate Spade New York has always understood that joy isn't just an indulgence — it's essentially human,” Badea said in a statement. “This brand has believed in that value since the ’90s, and I'm eager to think about how we can re-enchant consumers craving optimism and connection in today's world.”
Badea also has experience working for the Kiehl’s Since 1851 and Giorgio Armani Beauty U.S. brands, per her LinkedIn account.
The executive isn’t the only L'Oréal veteran working at Kate Spade. The Tapestry Inc.-owned fashion brand in 2024 named Eva Erdmann as president and CEO of Kate Spade. Erdmann had most recently served as global president of Urban Decay Cosmetics at L’Oréal.
A few years into Erdmann’s tenure, Kate Spade is not the bright spot in Tapestry’s broader performance. In Tapestry’s third quarter, Coach sales jumped more than 31% year over year to $1.7 billion. Kate Spade sales dropped 10% in the period to about $220 million.
Still, Tapestry’s overall sales rose double-digits in Q3 and net income increased about 70% to $343.8 million. The company is “reigniting the magic of Kate Spade New York,” it said in the LinkedIn post about Badea’s appointment.
