Elyce Arons

Elyce Arons is an American entrepreneur, fashion executive, and co-founder of the brands Kate Spade New York and Frances Valentine. She is currently chief executive officer (CEO) of Frances Valentine.

Early life Elyce Arons grew up on a farm in Sedgwick, Kansas, just 25 miles outside of Wichita. She is the youngest of four daughters, raised by her parents, Dana and Lou Cox. The farm had been in her family for generations, where they raised Angus cattle and a variety of crops.

She was introduced to New York and the world of fashion by her mother and sisters growing up. Her mother was an entrepreneur and a graphic designer. She worked as an illustrator for fashion companies and retailers in Wichita. She also used these talents to make costumes for her daughters and their community theater. Following another passion, she opened up her own restaurant, The Inn at Sedgwick, out of their family's farmhouse when her daughters were older. Arons visited New York frequently, where her older sister Willow had moved at 17 years old to dance at the Joffrey Ballet School.

Her freshman dorm, Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall (GPS), is where she met Kate Brosnahan, later Kate Spade, her close friend and future business partner. which inspired them to become journalism majors and future businesswomen. Arons graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Arons, and the other founders eventually moved on from the brand in 2007.

Arons spent the next ten years away from the fashion industry with her family.

Frances Valentine In 2016, Arons came back to fashion alongside close friend Kate Spade and her husband Andy Spade to found their second fashion label, Francis Valentine. The brand began as a line of shoes and handbags to exhibit the style of Arons and Spade, as it had evolved over the years since Kate Spade New York. They have grown over the last decade to include clothes and accessories in their catalog.

Personal life Arons is married to Andy Arons, co-founder of Gourmet Garage, a New York City based specialty grocery chain. The couple lives in New York City and have three daughters.