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Designer Kate Spade found dead in her apartment in apparent suicide

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Thomas Urbain, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/life/06/05/061518-katespade.jpg"/><figcaption>Kate Spade in a photo taken in New York on June 2, 2003. Celebrity website TMZ said Spade, especially known for her sleek handbags, hanged herself in her Park Avenue apartment Tuesday. <em>File/Chip East, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>(UPDATED) </strong>Designer Kate Spade, one of the biggest names in American fashion, was found dead Tuesday in New York after committing suicide, police said. She was 55.</p><p>Celebrity website TMZ said the designer -- especially known for her sleek handbags -- hanged herself in her Park Avenue apartment.</p><p>A police spokeswoman confirmed Spade committed suicide but told AFP the exact circumstances of her death were not yet clear.</p><p>Tributes to Spade poured in -- from celebrities, the fashion world and everyday women who admired her quintessential American style.</p><p>The Council of Fashion Designers of America said it was &quot;devastated&quot; at the news.</p><p>&quot;She was a great talent who had an immeasurable impact on American fashion and the way the world viewed American accessories,&quot; said the statement from CFDA board chairman Diane von Furstenberg and CEO Steven Kolb.</p><div><strong>Iconic handbags</strong></div><p>Spade -- a Missouri native who first worked as a journalist, including a stint as accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine -- launched her eponymous fashion label in 1993 with her husband Andy and the help of outside investors.</p><p>Her cheerful use of bright colors and prints proved a hit with career women. </p><p>The brand, initially sold in several New York stores, opened its flagship in the city&#x27;s Soho neighborhood in 1996.</p><p>Her designs represented the New York aesthetic -- a mix of modern and classic. It was so associated with the city that she eventually added its name to her label, Kate Spade New York. </p><p>Her most famous handbag was the &quot;Sam&quot; -- a black mid-size rectangular bag. It was relaunched this year by the label in new prints and colors.</p><p>Beyond the label&#x27;s signature handbags, Spade was also known for shoes. It later branched into ready-to-wear.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/06/05/060518-kate.jpg"/><figcaption>Medical examiners remove the body of Kate Spade from the Park Avenue apartment in New York on Tuesday. <em>Brendan McDermid, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>Many changes at label</strong></div><p>In 1999, Spade ceded a majority stake in her company to high-end department store chain Neiman Marcus for $34 million. NM then sold the label to textiles giant Liz Claiborne.</p><p>Spade then sold the last of her shares in the company in the mid-2000s for another $59 million, and was no longer directly associated with the management of the company bearing her name. </p><p>In the past few years, Spade -- born Katherine Brosnahan -- had launched a new ready-to-wear and accessories label, Frances Valentine.</p><p>In 2017, Coach bought the Kate Spade label, the last remnant of Liz Claiborne, in a deal worth $2.4 billion.</p><p>Over the years, the label had blossomed into a full lifestyle brand with more than 300 stores worldwide.</p><p>The company offered its condolences, calling Spade a &quot;visionary,&quot; and saying: &quot;We honor all the beauty she brought into this world.&quot;</p><p>Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton was among the many offering condolences to Spade&#x27;s family on Twitter.</p><p>&quot;My grandmother gave me my first Kate Spade bag when I was in college. I still have it. Holding Kate&#x27;s family, friends and loved ones in my heart,&quot; Clinton said.</p><p>Actress Lena Dunham said: &quot;Kate Spade was more than a designer. She had a quirky visual language that captivated Bat Mitzvah girls and artists alike.</p><p>&quot;She was also a staple of NYC who spread good will. My heart breaks for her family. Thank you, Kate, from one of the millions you made feel beautiful.&quot;</p><p>Spade is survived by her husband and daughter.</p><div><em><strong>Editor&#x27;s note:</strong></em></div><div><em>A group in the Philippines is dedicated to addressing those who have suicidal tendencies.</em></div><div><em>The crisis hotlines of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation aim to make these individuals feel that someone is ready to listen to them.</em></div><div><em>These are their hotline numbers:</em></div><div><strong><em>Information and Crisis Intervention Center</em></strong></div><div><em>(02) 804-HOPE (4673)<br/>0917-558-HOPE (4673) or (632) 211-4550<br/>0917-852-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-6876<br/>0917-842-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-4084</em></div><div><strong><em>In Touch Crisis Lines:</em></strong></div><div><em>(02) 893-7603 (24/7)<br/>Globe (63917) 800.1123 (24/7)<br/>Sun (63922) 893.8944 (24/7)</em></div>

<p>Her body was found by her housekeeper and she left a note, CBS New York reported, citing unnamed sources.</p>

Her body was found by her housekeeper and she left a note, CBS New York reported, citing unnamed sources.

Designer Kate Spade found dead in her apartment in apparent suicide

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Designer Kate Spade found dead in her apartment in apparent suicide

Thomas Urbain,

Agence France-Presse

Published Jun 06, 2018 12:37 AM PHT

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Updated Jun 07, 2018 03:03 PM PHT

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