Rachel Brosnahan is set to make her directorial debut with a deeply personal project. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star, 35, will direct and produce a documentary about the “life and legacy” of her paternal aunt, the late fashion designer Kate Spade, Deadline reports. Spade, born Katherine Brosnahan in 1962, was best known for co-founding the fashion house Kate Spade New York with her husband, Andy Spade. Though the company began as a small boutique in Manhattan in 1992, Kate Spade’s handbag designs quickly boomed in popularity, turning her brand into a global lifestyle giant by the early 2000s. Spade died by suicide in 2018 at age 55. She was survived by Andy Spade and their daughter, Frances Beatrix, then 13. After her death, Spade’s older sister, Reta Saffo, told reporters the designer had privately struggled with depression for years but “worried what people would say if they found out.” Andy Spade will co-produce Brosnahan’s documentary. Though no additional details have been released about the project, a representative for the production company Words + Pictures told Deadline, “Rachel is a remarkably talented storyteller and she has the most personal of connections to Kate Spade’s powerful story. We are thrilled to be working with her as she directs her first film.” Brosnahan previously opened up about her late aunt in February 2025, telling E! News that Spade was “a huge inspiration to [her] in every sense” and “one of the kindest, most generous people to ever walk the face of the Earth.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
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