LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 05: Actor Tim Conway arrives at the Paley Center for Media and TV Land salute of "The Bob Newhart Show" at the Paley Center for Media on September 5, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) Niki Lauda celebrates after the Formula One Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 16, 2017 in Northampton, England. Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr just before his retirement in 1972. GULFPORT, MS - JUNE 22: U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) looks on during a campaign rally at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport on June 22, 2014 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Tea Party-backed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Chris McDaniel, a Mississippi state senator, is locked in a tight runoff race with incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) who failed to win the nomination in the primary election. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, followed by her brother, Tony Rodham, stop at Casa Bella Italian Restaurant in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Friday evening April 22, 2016. Hillary Clinton's father was born in Scranton, and she has family in the area. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 18: Denise Nickerson who played Violet Beauregarde in the original film attends the 40th Anniversary of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory at Jacques Torres Chocolates on October 18, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) English rock group the Baker Gurvitz Army in a studio, August 1974. Left to right: Paul Gurvitz, Ginger Baker and Adrian Gurvitz. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) SANTA MONICA, CA - JUNE 16: James Shaw Jr. accepts award from Actor Chadwick Boseman onstage at the 2018 MTV Movie And TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 16, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) title: Chadwick Boseman's Howard University 2018 Commencement Speech duration: 00:34:41 site: Youtube author: null published: Mon May 14 2018 10:29:12 GMT-0400 (EDT) intervention: yes description: Howard University alumnus Chadwick Boseman provides words of inspiration to the Class of 2018 during Howard University's 150th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 12 in Washington, D.C. In this Feb. 14, 2018 photo, actor Chadwick Boseman poses for a portrait in New York to promote his film, "Black Panther." Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer. His representative says Boseman died Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 in Los Angeles after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43. (CNN) — Kate Brosnahan Spade, who created an iconic, accessible handbag line that bridged Main Street and high-end fashion, hanged herself in an apparent suicide Tuesday at her Manhattan apartment, according to New York Police Department sources. Police responded at 10:10 a.m. after Spade was found by her housekeeper, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said. A suicide note was found at the scene, he said. Spade addressed her daughter in the note, according to two NYPD sources. Spade’s husband also is referenced in the note, according to one of the sources. The designer, 55, started Kate Spade New York in 1993 and opened her first shop in the city three years later, the company’s website states. Thomas Iannaccone/Penske Media/REX/Shutterstock Fashion designer Kate Spade being interviewed in her New York showroom. “Debuting with just six silhouettes, she combined sleek, utilitarian shapes and colorful palettes in an entirely new way,” the site says. Best known for its colorful handbags, Kate Spade New York has more than 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the United States and more than 175 stores internationally, the site states. How Kate Spade became a household name Over time, she distanced herself from her business. In 1999, she and her husband, Andy Spade, sold 56% of the brand to Neiman Marcus for $33.6 million. Liz Claiborne acquired the company in 2007, and Spade left her namesake brand. The luxury fashion company Coach announced plans in May 2017 to buy Kate Spade for $2.4 billion. Kate Spade New York issued a statement confirming the “incredibly sad news” of their eponymous founder’s death. “Although Kate has not been affiliated with the brand for more than a decade, she and her husband and creative partner, Andy, were the founders of our beloved brand,” the statement said. “Kate will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with Andy and the entire Spade family at this time.” “We honor all the beauty she brought into this world,” the company said in a tweet. David Spade mourns sister-in-law: ‘I still can’t believe it’ More than a purse Spade was found hanged by a scarf she allegedly tied to a doorknob, an NYPD source said. Her death prompted an outpouring of grief among fans and her company’s customers, including Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump. My grandmother gave me my first Kate Spade bag when I was in college. I still have it. Holding Kate’s family, friends and loved ones in my heart. — Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) June 5, 2018 Kate Spade’s tragic passing is a painful reminder that we never truly know another’s pain or the burden they carry. If you are struggling with depression and contemplating suicide, please, please seek help. https://t.co/eruSexNoGj — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 5, 2018 “Everyone remembers their first Kate Spade,” CNN White House reporter and former fashion editor Kate Bennett said. “(The brand) became one of those accessible but quirky fun, timeless labels that everyone had to have, and her rise was synonymous with her name.” For many women, a Kate Spade handbag functioned as a symbol of professional achievement. I was 22 when I moved to NYC and got my first real job and it even paid overtime. My first check that had OT hours in it, I set aside that money and bought myself a @katespadeny bag. It was 1998 and I felt so proud and successful. #RIPKateSpade ♥️ — alyssa mastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) June 5, 2018<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Comic actor David Spade said he is in shock over the death of his sister-in-law Kate Spade, who could “make [him] laugh so hard.” “I still can’t believe it,” Spade, 53, wrote on Instagram. A blurry image he posted on his account Tuesday shows the iconic fashion designer, 55, beaming as she turns to look at the actor, while the pair get ready to pose for family Christmas pictures. see also Family, friends and celebrities remember Kate Spade Everyone from Spade's niece to Chelsea Clinton spoke fondly of... “We had so much fun that day,” Spade wrote in the caption. “She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard.” Kate Spade was married to David’s brother Andrew for 24 years. She hanged herself with a scarf inside her Upper East Side home on Tuesday, leaving a note addressed to her daughter, Frances Beatrix Spade, 13. In another touching tribute, Spade shared an image to Twitter showing the beloved designer smiling from ear to ear and wearing a bright green headband as she watches him autograph books. “Katy at my book signing. I love this pic of her,” Spade wrote. “So pretty. I don’t think everyone knew how f–king funny she was … It’s a rough world out there people. Try to hang on.”<doc-sep>Products in this story are independently selected and featured editorially. If you make a purchase using these links we may earn commission. To pay homage to its founder, Kate Spade, who died on Tuesday from apparent suicide, all Kate Spade New York stores will honor her with a new window display. According to a source, stores will remove all signage and product from their window and replace it with a poster of the company’s statement following her death, which was posted on Instagram. Get push notifications with news, features and more. The statement reads: “Kate Spade, the visionary founder of our brand, has passed. Our thoughts are with her family at this incredibly heartbreaking time. We honor all the beauty she brought into this world.” According to the source, all US stores will change their signage on Wednesday, with international stores to also follow suit. The brand’s website also features the message prominently on the homepage. The company was told to pause all emails to customers, all digital advertising and paid social and search content and refrain from posting on the brand’s social media accounts for the time being, which includes their influencer partners. Kate Spade New York store on Regent Street, London, UK - 05 Jun 2018 Credit: Stephen Chung/LNP/REX/Shutterstock Kate Spade died at her Manhattan home on Tuesday, leaving behind her husband (of 24 years) and business partner Andy Spade and their 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix Spade. The husband and wife duo launched their namesake business in 1993, turning their simple handbag business into the booming $2.4 billion empire. The company was sold to Liz Claiborne, Inc. (which renamed itself after Kate Spade New York) in 2006, when both Kate and Andy stepped away from the brand. In 2017, it was sold to Coach, Inc. (now known as Tapestry). Kate spent her time away from design raising her young daughter and told PEOPLE in 2016, “I needed a break and I really wanted to raise my daughter [Frances],” Spade said. “People asked me, ‘Don’t you miss it?’ I really didn’t. I mean, I loved what I was doing, but I didn’t miss it as much as I thought I might.” RELATED VIDEO: Kate Spade, 55, Found Dead in N.Y.C. Apartment from Apparent Suicide In 2016, the couple was ready to launch a brand new accessories brand, Frances Valentine. And to differentiate herself with her first company, Kate legally changed her name to Kate Valentine Spade. “I thought it was important to distinguish who I am now,” she told PEOPLE. “I’m the same person, but there’s a difference.” Following the news of her death many celebrity fans and Kate’s family members including niece The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan and brother-in-law comedian David Spade, wrote touching tributes on social media.<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) One day after Kate Spade was found dead in her Manhattan condo, niece Rachel Brosnahan broke her silence on social media, sharing a sweet memory of the beloved designer. “Knowing Katy, this is how she would want to be remembered,” the “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actress wrote Wednesday. “She had a light that words can’t capture but touched everyone she came into contact with. She was exceedingly kind, beautifully sensitive, insanely talented, funny as heck and one of the most generous people I have ever known. She was effervescent. Hug your loved ones extra tight today.” Spade — born Katherine Brosnahan — hanged herself with a red scarf from a doorknob from her Park Avenue residence, according to sources. She was 55 years old. “We are all devastated by today’s tragedy. We loved Katy dearly and will miss her terribly. We would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time,” the Spade family said in a statement. Following Brosnahan’s Golden Globes win for her performance in the Amazon series, proud aunt Spade gushed about her 27-year-old niece’s acting chops. “I am beside myself! My daughter and I jumped up and down when she won,” Spade told Page Six in January. “She deserves this recognition, as she’s put her heart and soul into the role. We are insanely proud.” Spade’s apparent suicide comes after her husband of 24 years, Andy Spade, sought a divorce. She leaves behind 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix.<doc-sep>
The sister of celebrated fashion designer Kate Spade says she may have taken her own life because of a struggle with mental illness. Spade was found dead Tuesday in her New York apartment. In an e-mail her older sister, Reta Saffo, said she believed Spade suffered from bipolar disorder, writing, "It finally took its toll on her. A very tragic and sad ending to the life of a very colorful and delightful being." She also said that she "tried numerous times to get her help." A housekeeper found Spade hanging from a red scarf tied to a doorknob in her bedroom, according to police. Her husband Andy was home at the time. The designer left a suicide note addressed to her 13-year-old daughter, telling her it was not her fault, reports CBS News' Jericka Duncan. Her family said in a statement, "We are all devastated...we loved Kate dearly and will miss her terribly." "The contents of that note as well as the physical state of the apartment and the comments of the witness lend to the credibility that it is an apparent suicide," NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said. The 55-year-old became a fashion industry darling in the 1990s with a simple but whimsical style. She and her husband Andy built a fashion empire around her signature handbags, counting celebrities like actress Ellie Kemper among her clientele. "She puts forth a sort of aspirational line, which I think 'Oh I want to be like that! I want to be chic and pulled together and a New York lady.' And then I can!" Kemper said of Spade back in February 2016. Spade stepped away from the limelight after selling her company in 2007, but she recently mounted a comeback. "I, personally, I don't know about Andy – took off a good nine years raising my daughter and absolutely adored every moment of it," Spade said last April. Police say she may have taken her own life because of money and marital problems. New York Fashion Week creator Fern Mallis, who knew Spade for nearly three decades, was shocked by her death. "She and Andy, they were a team. I mean they were adorable together," Mallis said. "And I just went 'What?'... The last person on earth you'd think would take her own life." Many of Spade's friends and famous clientele are sending tributes on social media. Her brother-in-law, David Spade, tweeted a picture of her at his book signing and said: "I love this pic of her. So pretty....Its a rough world out there people. Try to hang on."