The Beginning
The story of Kate Design is a rather unusual coming together of two women: Kate – an established, well-known British artist with an infectious laugh living in St Kitts, and Maria, a late-twenty-something Virginian with a business background and entrepreneurial itch, recently relocated from New York to Charleston.

After meeting over rum punches in the tropics, the two realized that they not only really liked each other, but they shared a common passion to create, and each could do what she did best, while the other took care of the rest! Marrying Kate’s creative zest with Maria’s can-do attitude, Kate Design scarves offer a new, tangible and accessible medium to experience one of the Caribbean’s most esteemed artists.

The Art
Each collection reflects Kate Spencer’s romantic painting style and whimsical interpretations of island life. Painted in St Kitts, “each scarf starts life as a large oil canvas in my studio. It’s a combination of design and figurative painting. The understanding of the harmony of color has really been my study,” Kate explains. Each painting is digitally printed onto fabric, by skilled artisans; The West Indies Collection in Kashmir, and The Bombax Collection in Lake Como. Their meticulous attention to detail, coupled with a deep interest in and understanding of color ensures Kate’s original painting’s palate and character are preserved.

Generous in size and rich in texture, Kate Design scarves, bring panache to any wardrobe by infusing beautiful art into a classic accessory, and really make a statement when worn as a sarong or coverup.

Kate Spencer

Maria Darby

After Interior Design school in London, Kate moved to Florence where she studied figurative art at the Cecil Graves Studio. It was disciplined, academic training and portraiture was her love. Born in Yorkshire, England Kate has made her home in St. Kitts since 1978, working in her studio and gallery at the Northern end of the island in the grounds of an old sugar estate. One of the Caribbean’s most admired artists, Kate has a large, loyal following of avid collectors around the world. Kate loves “working in the tropics, where plants grow overnight and trees flower all year round.” Her original paintings are shown in galleries across the Caribbean and Europe. Visit www.KateSpencerFineArt.com to learn more about Kate’s work.

After studying at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Maria spent five years working at Lippincott, a leading brand strategy and design consulting firm in New York. She loved the extraordinary mix of people, bustling energy and collective spirit the city and her international travels exposed. Co-founding Kate Design has been great fun. While Kate focuses on painting, Maria manages the production, sales and finances for Kate Design. "I feel fortunate to have met Kate and now help share her work with others. She sees the world through a more passionate lens than most." Maria counts her family and friends, days spent at the beach and delicious food among her favorite things. With her husband, she has made Charleston, SC home.