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>The designer, 55, was found dead in her N.Y.C. home by her housekeeper Designer Kate Spade was found dead Tuesday in her New York City apartment of an apparent suicide, PEOPLE confirms. Police say she was found hanging from a red scarf Tuesday morning in her bedroom at her Park Avenue home in Manhattan. Get push notifications with news, features and more. A housekeeper discovered her, according to a police source, and she apparently left a suicide note, though its contents are not known at this time. “We are all devastated by today’s tragedy,” her family said in a statement via the New York Daily News. “We loved Kate dearly and will miss her terribly. We would ask that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this very difficult time.” Spade’s sister Eve Brosnahan told the Daily News, “It’s very difficult.” Kate Spade, Rhapsody, August 2016 Credit: Allison Michael Orenstein/Contour/Getty Kate Spade, née Katherine Noel Brosnahan, was the designer behind her successful namesake label, Kate Spade New York. Founded in 1993 with her husband, Andy Spade, the brother of actor David Spade, the line began by designing its famously colorful handbags before expanding into other accessories and clothing, ultimately turning into a billion-dollar brand. Tapestry, Inc. bought Kate Spade in July 2017 for $2.4 billion. After selling her ownership stake in her company in 2006, Spade and her husband took time away from design. “I needed a break and I really wanted to raise my daughter [Frances],” she told PEOPLE in 2016. “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.” But by 2016 she was ready to launch a brand new accessories brand, Frances Valentine. She legally changed her name to Kate Valentine Spade to match her new label. “I thought it was important to distinguish who I am now,” she said. “I’m the same person, but there’s a difference.” Throughout her career as an accessories designer, she was recognized for her achievements by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with the “America’s New Fashion Talent in Accessories” in 1996 and again in 1998, winning the CFDA Award for “Best Accessory Designer of the Year.” She’s survived by Andy, her husband of 24 years, and their 13-year-old daughter, Frances. In 2016 Spade sat down with PEOPLE for an intimate photoshoot at the home she shared with her husband and daughter, and shared the advice she wished she had taken at a younger age. “Don’t rest on your laurels. The end result isn’t as important as the effort that goes into it. Jump all the way in. Don’t be afraid. And don’t worry so much,” she said. “My dad always says ‘Just float.’ He’s very zen,” she said. “Not every little pebble is a boulder. And it’s kind of how I approached [my new brand]. I feel a little less nervous. I should be more nervous, but I’m not going to take it so crazily hopefully.”<doc-sep>Andrew Toth/FilmMagic After graduating college, Kate moved to New York City where she worked for women's magazine Mademoiselle. Three years after leaving the magazine, Kate launched the brand Kate Spade with Andy in January of 1993. Since that time, the brand has grown into one of the most beloved design houses in the fashion industry. A year after Kate and Andy launched the brand, the couple wed in 1994. In 1999, Kate sold a majority of the company to Neiman Marcus Group, and would later sell the rest of her shares in 2006. After news of Kate's death broke on Tuesday, Kate Spade New York released a statement on her passing. "We at Kate Spade New York just learned of the incredibly sad news that Kate Spade has passed," the statement reads. "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. Kate will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with Andy and the entire Spade family at this time." Andy, 55, is the brother of actor David Spade. In Feb. 2005, Kate gave birth to a daughter, Frances Beatrix Spade. In 2016, she launched a new brand named after her daughter, Frances Valentine.<doc-sep>Iconic fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead Tuesday in her New York City apartment of an apparent suicide. She was 55. Det. Sophia Mason, a spokeswoman for the NYPD, confirmed to USA TODAY that Spade was found dead of an apparent hanging at a Park Avenue address around 10:30 a.m. ET. . Spade was found by a housekeeper. Her husband and business partner, Andy Spade, was in the house at the time, according to chief of detectives, Dermot Shea, who briefed reporters Tuesday afternoon. Shea said investigators were still in the early stages of their investigation but evidence including the state of the apartment and the presence of a note pointed to "a tragic suicide." Spade is survived by her 13-year-old daughter, Frances Beatrix Spade. Spade's new fashion line, Frances Valentine, is named for her daughter. Through her husband, Spade was the sister-in-law of comedian David Spade. She was also the aunt of Rachel Brosnahan, the star of Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. More:Chelsea Clinton, more celebrities mourn 'inspiring' Kate Spade following her death Her family issued a statement through a spokesman saying they were devastated and pleading for privacy, according to The Associated Press. Spade became a fashion force and cultural touchstone for her instantly recognizable handbags featuring modern, sleek designs with bold pops of color and feminine flourishes. Along with Andy Spade, her then-boyfriend, she grew a small line founded in 1993 to an international behemoth bearing her name. Spade was born Katherine Noel Brosnahan in Kansas City, Mo., in 1962. She met Andy Spade at Arizona State University in the 1980s when they were both students working part time at Carter's men's store. After graduation, Spade moved to New York, starting her career at Mademoiselle magazine as an accessories editor. "She stopped in New York for one night on a trip back from Europe," Andy told USA TODAY in a 1997 interview, "and went to Mademoiselle for a temp job and was hired." It was there she saw a need for practical, yet fashionable handbags. Along with her husband and friend Elyce Arons, Spade launched the company with an iconic $155 black nylon handbag and five other basic bags, mostly square and minus froufrou decoration. "It's never too complicated or overly designed, but it should have personality," Spade told USA TODAY in 2005 of her design credo. Distinguished by the discreet rectangular label on the outside of each bag, the line found a niche as a quintessentially preppy favorite: functional classics in occasionally offbeat colors designed never to succumb to trendiness. They quickly became popular with celebrities from Sandra Bullock to Linda Evangelista, and made appearances on TV shows, including Sex and the City. "Back then people weren't doing simple designs. There was a PBS tote bag that had style, but it wasn't made well," the designer told USA TODAY in 1997. Spade eventually branched into a variety of accessories and home decor, starting with men's accessories in 1997 under the label Jack Spade (derived from “beloved” Jacks in both of her and Andy's families) and moving to stationery in '98, shoes in '99 and eyewear in 2001. Also in 2001, Paola Venturi joined the trio as design director. In 1999, Neiman Marcus bought a 56% stake in the company for $33.6 million. The founding partners walked away from the company in 2007, one year after it was acquired by the group then known as Liz Claiborne Inc. for $125 million. The group subsequently sold off its other operations and became Kate Spade & Co. Kate and Andy, who said their focus was on family after the departure from their namesake company, returned to fashion with the shoe and handbag line Frances Valentine in 2015. Kate Spade New York now has more than 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the U.S. and more than 175 shops internationally. On Tuesday, the company posted a tweet mourning her: "We honor all the beauty she brought into this world." Julia Curry, a spokeswoman for the company, said that "Kate will be dearly missed" and "our thoughts are with Andy and the entire Spade family at this time." Friends and admirers expressed shock and sadness at the news. Diane von Furstenberg and Steven Kolb issued a statement on behalf of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which held its 2018 awards Monday night. Spade was a two-time winner, in 1998 and 1996, of a CFDA International Award, considered the equivalent of an Oscar for the fashion world. "The CFDA is devastated to hear the news of our friend, colleague, and CFDA member Kate Spade’s tragic passing. She was a great talent who had an immeasurable impact on American fashion and the way the world viewed American accessories. "We want to honor her life and her major contribution to the fashion business and express our most sincere condolences to the family," the statement said. Spade's death comes after a series of high-profile suicides by hanging. Chester Bennington, frontman for Linkin Park, hanged himself in his home near Los Angeles in July 2017. He was 41. Designer and model L’Wren Scott, then the girlfriend of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, committed suicide by hanging in her Manhattan apartment in March 2014. She was 49. And comedian/movie star Robin Williams committed suicide in August 2014 by hanging in a bedroom of his home in Marin County, Calif., north of San Francisco. He was 63.<doc-sep>
UPDATED: Fashion designer Kate Spade has been found dead in an apparent suicide, according to law enforcement officials. She was 55. Officials say she was found in New York City at her Park Avenue apartment at around 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday. A housekeeper found Spade hanging from a red scarf tied to her bedroom doorknob, officials said. The housekeeper called 911, and Spade was pronounced dead on the scene. She left a note, but officials did not know what it said. Kate Spade New York, the fashion brand she co-founded, issue a statement on her death later on Tuesday. “Kate Spade, the visionary founder of our brand, has passed,” it read. “Our thoughts are with her family at this incredibly heartbreaking time. We honor all the beauty she brought into this world.” Spade, born Katherine Brosnahan, grew up in Kansas City, Mo. Spade got her start working in the accessories department of Mademoiselle magazine in Manhattan. While working there, she moved in with her husband-to-be, Andy Spade (brother of David Spade). She left the magazine in 1991, and went on to create her own handbag line. Her New York-based company, which she co-founded with her husband and a friend in 1994, initially sold handbags, but the designer brand eventually extended to clothing, jewelry, shoes, stationery, eyewear, and bedding, among other items. The contemporary brand is known for colorful patterns and bold designs. During her expansive career, Spade’s line was a staple on red carpets among celebrities. In 1996, the Kate Spade brand opened its first boutique in SoHo before moving its headquarters to West 25th Street. Kate Spade New York currently has over 140 retail shops and outlets across the country and more than 175 stores internationally. Neiman Marcus Group purchased 56% of the Kate Spade brand in 1999. In 2007, Spade sold the remaining portion to Neiman Marcus Group and focused on spending time with her daughter, Frances. Coach bought Kate Spade for $2.4 billion in May 2017, and changed the name to Tapestry, Inc. Spade launched a new fashion brand, Frances Valentine, in 2016, and the designer changed her last name to Valentine to distinguish between the two brands. Her niece is “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan. Spade is survived by her husband and her daughter, who was born in 2005.