Kate Spade, fashion designer and the creator of iconic and high-end hand bags, clothes and jewellery hanged herself in an apparent suicide on Tuesday at her Manhattan apartment, according to New York Police Department sources. Kate was found by her housekeeper and a suicide note was found at the scene, NYPD chief of detectives Dermot Shea said. 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.

Spade addressed her 13-year-old daughter in the suicide note, according to two NYPD sources. Her husband is also referenced in the note. Spade was found hanged by a scarf she allegedly tied to a doorknob, an NYPD source said. Kate Spade New York issued a statement confirming the sad news of their eponymous founder’s death.

Kate Spade New York Sharing the Sad News

“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 read. “Kate will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with Andy and the entire Spade family at this time.”

Her death also prompted an outpouring grief among fans. People started sharing their first Kate Spade handbag moments. For some, a Kate Spade handbag functioned as a symbol of personal achievement.

One User Said It Was Her Dream to Own a Kate Spade Bag

First Gift for the Love of Their Life

One User Still Has Her First Kate Spade Bag

Another Bought Kate Spade with First Salary

CNN White House reporter and former fashion editor Kate Bennett said, “Everyone remembers their first Kate Spade. 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.”

Best known for its colourful handbags, Kate Spade New York has more than 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the United States and more than 175 stores internationally. Before making the jump to designing, she was a senior fashion editor at the fashion magazine Mademoiselle.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2018 12:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).