Kate Brosnahan Spade, the fashion designer and businesswoman, died in an apparent suicide Tuesday at a New York City apartment, according to a New York Police Department source.
A note was found, a second NYPD source said, adding that the call came in at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The designer started Kate Spade New York in 1993 and opened the first shop in the city three years later, the company’s website states.
Best known for its colorful handbags, the company has more than 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the United States and more than 175 stores internationally, the site states.
The luxury company Coach announced plans in May 2017 to buy Kate Spade for $2.4 billion.
Celebrities and members of the fashion industry took to social media to mourn the sudden death of fashion designer Kate Spade on Tuesday.
Comedian Rosie O’Donnell, plus-size model Tess Holliday and fashion designer Liz Lange were among those to tweet about the news.
Tapestry, owner of Kate Spade brands, saw its stock fall on the news that the designer had died.
Spade, the former accessories editor at Mademoiselle, started Kate Spade in 1993, when she set out to design the perfect handbag and created just six silhouettes. The first store opened in New York City in 1996.
Over the years the company expanded beyond handbags to a complete lifestyle brand including clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, eyewear, baby, fragrance, tabletop, bedding and gifts.
Kate Spade was sold to Neiman Marcus Group in 1999 – which was later sold to Fifth & Pacific (formerly Liz Claiborne) in 2006. Kate Spade is currently owned by Tapestry, formerly Coach.
The Spades have bot been involved with Kate Spade since 2007, according to The New York Times.
In 2016, Kate Spade and her husband Andy Spade, along with their longtime friends, Elyce Arons and shoedesigner Paola Venturi, launched the fashion endeavor, Frances Valentine.
If you are having thoughts about suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or suicidepreventionlifeline.org
