Anna Bakst appointed CEO and Brand President of Kate Spade

Tapestry, Inc. has appointed Anna Bakst as Chief Executive Officer and Brand President of Kate Spade. The company said, she is expected to join on March 26, 2018 and will succeed Craig Leavitt, who in the wake of the Tapestry, Inc. acquisition, made the decision to exit the brand in 2017. In this new role, Bakst will be responsible for all aspects of Kate Spade globally and will report to Victor Luis, Tapestry, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer, who has been leading the brand in an interim capacity since Leavitt’s departure.

“The appointment of Anna Bakst marks another key step in the evolution of the Kate Spade brand. She brings a rare combination of business acumen, directly related fashion experience and strong leadership skills to the company. Together with recently appointed Creative Director Nicola Glass, we now have the right senior management in place to lead the talented Kate Spade brand team and drive the business globally,” said said Victor Luis, Chief Executive Officer of Tapestry, Inc in a statement.

Anna Bakst names CEO and President of Kate Spade

The company added that Bakst brings over 25 years of experience managing and cultivating businesses for global fashion houses, most recently at Michael Kors where, until January 2017, she held the role of group president of accessories and footwear. In this role, she led the global design, production and merchandising teams, as well as overseeing domestic wholesale distribution. She joined Michael Kors in 2003, leading the successful launch of the company’s accessories and footwear businesses.

“I am extremely excited about leading Kate Spade’s passionate and accomplished team and joining Tapestry’s house of brands. I believe the Kate Spade business has tremendous opportunity across product categories, channels and geographies. I look forward to leveraging the brand’s global potential and to bringing its unique and empowering feminine positioning to women around the world,” added Bakst.

Prior to Michael Kors, she for 12-years, Bakst was associated with Donna Karan International, ultimately as president of accessories and footwear. An MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, Bakst is also on the board of directors of Modern Meadow and serves as an Associate Professor at Pratt Institute’s Design Management program.

According to Victor Luis, her focus on product innovation – notably in the key categories of accessories and footwear – will be a key pillar of the Kate Spade growth strategy.

Picture:Tapestry website