Photo: Instagram
She was 55.
By Molly Given — Written on Jun 05, 2018
How did Kate Spade die? Legendary designer Kate Spade has been in the fashion industry for years and made a name for herself in 80s working for magazines like Madmoiselle in Manhattan. Her handbags became widely popular in the fashion industry in the 1990s and her company Kate Spade New York had over 140 retails shops across the country and 175 internationally.
Her collection was known for her bright prints and cheerful designs. She was a leader among modern women designers today. Here's everything we know so far about the tragic death of Kate Spade by apparent suicide.
1. She was found by her housekeeper.
Early Tuesday morning Spade was found hanging at her 850 Park Avenue home by her housekeeper. When police arrived she was announced dead at the scene at 10:26 am. There are reports she left a note as well.
2. She allegedly used one of her scarves to hang herself.
The fashion maven hung herself with a red scarf from a doorknob. It is unclear if it was one that was from her collection or one that was bought through another designer.
3. She leaves behind a family.
Spade was married to Andy Spade, brother of actor David Spade, and has a 13-year old daughter, Francis.
4. Her husband was at the scene.
Reports show Andy Spade was at the scene with police. Her daughter wasn't present at the time.
5. She left the fashion industry in 2007.
In 2007 Spade sold her company saying she was taking time off to raise her daughter. Kate made a comeback in 2016 by launching a new fashion brand, called Frances Valentine, named after her daughter.
6. Her brand recently hit a sales slump.
The parent company of Coach bought the Kate Spade brand and according to CNN, the copmany spent nearly $3 billion in the past few years buying the Kate Spade clothing and handbag label as well as the Stuart Weitzman shoe brand. Those deals were not bringing in numbers, unfortunately, and seemed to be a sales flop. Same-store sales for Kate Spade plunged 9% in the first quarter because of a dip in online revenue.
7. Fans are expressing shock.
Fans took to social media to express their shock and condolences.
Molly Given is a writer living in Philadelphia and lover of all things to do with mystery and magic in life. When she’s not writing her fingers off she can be found planning her next adventure in a new part of the world.