Designer Kate Spade Found Dead In Her Park Avenue Apartment

American fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead inside her Manhattan apartment Tuesday, police said.

Police are describing the death as an apparent suicide, The Associated Press reported.

A housekeeper in the Park Avenue apartment found Spade hanging in her bedroom and called 911. Responders found Spade unresponsive in the Park Avenue apartment at around 10:20 am on Tuesday, June 5. She was officially pronounced dead at 10:26 am, according to The New York Times.

Spade had left a note before apparently hanging herself, and the contents of the note have not been released, the paper reported.

Spade's husband and business partner, Andy Spade, was in the house this morning, but the couple's daughter was at school, The Associated Press reported.

A former senior fashion editor at Mademoiselle, Spade was an influential designer whose bags and accessories became staples of 90's fashion. The Times noted that she was part of a wave of female designers shaping the aesthetics of the decade.

Spade stepped down as the head of the brand that bears her name in 2007 after the company was acquired by Liz Claiborne Inc from the Neiman Marcus Group for $125 million. The brand, aquired by Coach for $2.4 billion in 2017, now has over 140 stores throughout the country and more than 175 internationally. 

Company representatives have not yet commented on the death.

Individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available to provide emotional support during mental health emergencies, 24/7. They can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.

[Photo: Kate Spade by Andrew Toth / Getty Images]