# Elyce Arons

> Elyce Arons is the co-founder and CEO of Frances Valentine and a founding partner of Kate Spade. Raised on a Kansas farm, she began her career in publicity and fashion marketing, built two brands with her college friend Kate Spade, and published the bestselling friendship memoir We Might Just Make It After All in 2025.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Frances Valentine
- **Organizations:** Frances Valentine, Kate Spade New York, LIM Fashion Education Foundation
- **Education:** University of Kansas, Arizona State University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Kate Spade New York in 1993., Co-founded Frances Valentine in 2016 and serves as CEO., Published a New York Times bestselling memoir in June 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1981** — Met Katy Brosnahan at the University of Kansas.
- **1983** — Transferred with Brosnahan to Arizona State University after two years at KU.
- **Before 1993** — Worked in publicity and fashion marketing, including J.G. Hook and Marithé + François Girbaud.
- **1993** — Co-founded Kate Spade with Katy Brosnahan, Andy Spade and Pamela Bell.
- **1999** — Neiman Marcus acquired a majority stake in Kate Spade.
- **2006** — Exited Kate Spade and took time away from fashion to raise her family.
- **2016** — Co-founded Frances Valentine, initially a shoe and handbag line.
- **2025** — Published We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade.
- **2026** — Featured in Frances Valentine’s four-part Mission Vintage YouTube series.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Kate Spade New York in 1993.
- Co-founded Frances Valentine in 2016 and serves as CEO.
- Published a New York Times bestselling memoir in June 2025.
- Inc. Female Founders honoree in 2021, 2025 and 2026.
- Named 2025 Kansan of the Year, as reported by Kansas City magazine.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Frances Valentine launched Mission Vintage, a four-part YouTube series following Arons’s vintage sourcing. The company also announced a Charleston store planned for November.
- **2026-04** — Thirty Minute Mentors published a leadership and career interview transcript with Arons on April 7.
- **2026-01** — LIM College announced Arons as its May 2026 commencement keynote speaker and planned honorary Doctor of Commercial Science recipient.
- **2025-09** — Returned to the University of Kansas for a September 26 campus visit and fireside chat.
- **2025-06** — Gallery Books published her memoir on June 17; the publisher identifies it as a New York Times bestseller.

## Links

- Website: https://francesvalentine.com/pages/essentially-elyce
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyce-arons-544a69108
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elyce_arons/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/elyce-arons
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-13