Kate Davis and the Art of Building a Modern Legacy

For Kate Davis, design has always been a conversation between past and present, a way to translate nostalgia, craftsmanship, and memory into things that last. Whether it’s the texture of fine paper, the balance of a well-designed room, or the quiet swoosh of a pleated tennis skirt in motion, Davis approaches it all with the same philosophy she applies across her brands: grace, intention, and longevity.

That philosophy runs through every corner of her world. What began as a single creative pursuit has evolved into a trio of brands — Love All Tennis, Pickett’s Press, and Davis Designs — bound not by category, but by a shared aesthetic and spirit. Together they form a living ecosystem of design that is thoughtful, feminine, and timeless, with a heartbeat rooted in craftsmanship and connection.

Davis’s eye for elegance was born in the summers of Seal Harbor, Maine, where her days revolved around the rhythm of the court. “I remember white linen skirts, sunburned noses, and games that stretched until dinner,” she says. She remembers those summers not just for the sport itself, but for the feeling, the sense of grace and camaraderie that lingered long after the matches ended.

Years later, as a working mother balancing family, design, and life in New York, that sense of grace and simplicity inspired something new. “I couldn’t find clothes that felt as beautiful as those memories yet performed for real life,” she recalls. That nostalgia became a concept, and then a sketch on her desk at Davis Designs. The first prototype was a classic A-line dress called the Ainsley. It captured her vision, retro lines in a modern performance fabric. “When friends started asking for one,” she says, “I knew the idea had legs.”

From that moment, Love All Tennis was born. A performance-meets-prep label designed to move seamlessly from court to café. “At Love All, we design for movement and memory,” Davis says. “Each collection is grounded in the elegant ease of East Coast tennis, think crisp whites, thoughtful trims, silhouettes that nod to the past, but reimagined with today’s technical performance fabrics.”

The brand is proudly made in the USA, produced locally in New York City. “Manufacturing in New York City was never just a logistical choice,” she explains. “I wanted to build something that supported local artisans, pattern-makers, and sewing rooms, many of whom have spent decades perfecting their craft. Keeping production close allows me to oversee every detail and maintain the level of quality that defines the brand.”

Inclusivity is equally central. “Inclusivity isn’t a tagline for us, it’s the heart of our design process,” Davis says. “We fit-test on women of all ages and body types, adjusting patterns until each style flatters and moves beautifully. Some of the most meaningful feedback I’ve received comes from women who say, ‘I haven’t felt this confident on court in years.’ That’s everything.”

Beyond design, Love All Tennis reflects Davis’s values of community and access. A portion of every purchase supports New York Junior Tennis & Learning, a nonprofit that provides tennis and education to underserved youth. “Tennis gave me so much — confidence, friendships, fitness,” she says. “Access to the sport should be a right, not a privilege.”

As the brand expands, Davis remains guided by a clear vision. “Every new Love All category, from golf to swim to pickleball, begins with the same question. Would we wear this from sport to life and still feel chic? Our guiding principle is retro performance: designs that honor vintage style but perform for modern living.”

For Davis, Love All Tennis is just one part of a broader creative philosophy. Her work across Pickett’s Press and Davis Designs reflects the same devotion to craftsmanship, connection, and thoughtful design. “My three ventures, Love All Tennis, Pickett’s Press, and Davis Designs, are all rooted in craftsmanship and nostalgia,” she says. “Each celebrates the beauty of what’s made by hand and made to last.”

Before launching her apparel line, Davis was already an established designer and entrepreneur. In 2007, she founded Pickett’s Press, a custom letterpress stationery brand inspired by her love of the tactile and the timeless. “The stationery world taught me the value of detail and heritage,” she says. “It’s a belief in preserving beauty, tradition, and thoughtfulness in how we communicate, dress, and live.”

Her stationery collections, invitations, notecards, and personalized paper goods, embody the same precision found in her tennis designs: refined, enduring, and deeply personal. “In a world that moves so quickly, the art of handwritten correspondence feels almost radical,” Davis says. “There’s something deeply personal about sending a card you’ve chosen and signed yourself.”

That appreciation for artistry and detail naturally extended into her interiors venture, Davis Designs. As an interior designer and curator, Davis helps clients craft homes that balance sophistication and livability. “I love making a home both beautifully stylish and elegantly livable, without breaking the bank,” she says. “It’s possible to mix and match luxury and basic materials and accessories so that the overall feeling of the home is classically attractive with a youthful twist.”

Her collection of furniture, décor, and tabletop pieces reflects her travels and her eye for timeless style. An approach that feels both grounded and fresh. “Designing and filling a home should be lots of fun,” she says. 

Together, her three ventures form a creative dialogue. One that flows naturally from paper to fabric to furniture. “They feed each other creatively,” Davis explains. “A ricrac trim might echo a border I once printed on a notecard, or a color palette from an interior may become a new tennis dress. Together, they form a conversation between design, lifestyle, and legacy.”

A Harvard Business School graduate, Davis combines business acumen with a genuine commitment to craftsmanship, community, and thoughtful design.

Her leadership team reflects that same spirit. In 2024, HBS classmate, tennis partner, and friend Reena Russell Nasr joined Love All Tennis to lead the advisory board. A partnership that unites shared experience, strategy, and friendship. It’s a move that underscores Davis’s thoughtful approach to scaling, one that is deliberate and grounded in purpose. 

Each of her brands began with a personal need, a gap she felt and decided to fill. What keeps them thriving, she believes, is connection. “We design with the belief that tennis fits everyone — and so should our clothes,” she says. “It’s about making women feel beautiful and powerful, on and off the court.”

Across fashion, stationery, and interiors, Davis has built something rare. A cohesive world that moves seamlessly between tradition and innovation, between past and present. “Tennis has always been more than a sport,” she reflects. “It’s a lifestyle, a tradition, a connection across generations. Love All is about honoring that spirit — where classic charm meets modern life.”

From the clean line of a tennis skirt to the texture of letterpress paper, every part of Kate Davis’s creative life tells the same story, one of beauty, grace, and purpose.

For Kate Davis, design is about movement and memory — creating pieces that are as timeless as the traditions that inspire them.