Note: The following article contains discussion of suicide that some readers may find upsetting.
Handbag designer Kate Spade was found dead in her Manhattan residence on Tuesday morning, sources told CBS News. According to reports, she was found by her housekeeper at her home on Park Avenue.
Per The New York Times, Spade was found in her bedroom "unresponsive", in what is being investigated as a suspected suicide. She was declared dead at 10.26 am EST. Officials on the scene also told The Associated Press Spade is believed to have left a note.
In a statement to the New York Daily News, Spade's family said they are "devastated by today's tragedy".
"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."
The American fashion designer and businesswoman was 55 years old, and is survived by her husband Andy, and their 13-year-old daughter, Frances Beatrix Spade.
What to Read Next
Spade met her husband while working at a clothing store in Phoenix, Arizona, where they went to college. The couple later lived together in New York, where Spade worked at the fashion magazine Mademoiselle — and where she reportedly first got the idea for her namesake handbag brand.
The couple launched Kate Spade Handbags in 1993, but sold their stake in the brand to Neiman Marcus in 2006 (as of 2018, it's owned by Coach Inc.). Spade was more recently the designer of the Frances Valentine label.
Many have paid tribute to Spade on social media:
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), and Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
