# Kate Spade, dead at age 55 of an  apparent suicide



## Love Of My Life

Just announced on CBS news Kate Spade dead of an apparent suicide.
Her housekeeper found her this morning in her apartment on Park Ave & 77th St NYC
More details to come


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## MyAwesomeFinds

Very very sad.

http://www.tmz.com/2018/06/05/kate-spade-dead-dies/


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## Swanky

June 5, 2018 at 12:15 pm

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – Designer Kate Spade was found dead in her Manhattan apartment following an apparent suicide, sources tell CBS2.

Spade, 55, was found by her housekeeper at her home at 850 Park Avenue.

She left a note, sources said.

Just last year, Coach bought the Kate Spade company in a $2.4 billion deal.

Her handbags created a huge sensation 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.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/06/05/kate-spade-found-dead-in-apparent-suicide/


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## Ineedanewhandbag

I can't believe it  I just heard about it, I am so sad to hear...


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## RackFanatic

How incredibly sad [emoji22]


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## lanasyogamama

I’m in shock


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## ShoreGrl

I'm so incredibly sad. She was always one of my favorite designers. May she RIP


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## jmaemonte

Heartbreaking.


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## minimom

So sad


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## Clifmar

This is so sad. Her work brought so much joy to others. Hope she finds peace


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## jiffer

I was shocked when I saw the news. It goes to show that you never know what goes on behind closed doors. Mental illness has such a sigma that many people don't get the help they need. May be RIP.


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## lakeshow

Very sad. Thinking of her daughter and husband. How terrible. 

Thought she left her namesake company years ago, Kate Spade's brand was always so bright, irreverent, and fun. So tragic that this sadness was beneath. Rest in peace beautiful Kate.


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## noshoepolish

[emoji22]


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## Antonia

Just heard she passed away...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/k...gner-found-dead-at-home/ar-AAyg5Qp?li=BBnbfcL


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## Hierophilic

Jesus Christ, my sister just came and told me. I thought maybe she got the name wrong. No. She was right. [emoji20] Rest In Peace, Kate Spade. I wish I could say I can’t imagine what her family and  friends are going through, but having lost someone to suicide just over a year ago, I can. My heart breaks for them.


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## Rouge H

May she find the peace she was looking for. ❤️


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## bisbee

Shocking!  So very sad...


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## sdkitty

Wow.  You never know what people's lives are really like.  She seemed to have so much Just goes to show money doesn't buy happiness or peace of mind.
RIP.


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## canto bight

My sister just called and told me and I thought she was mistaking her for someone else, but sure enough she was right.  May Kate find peace.  Her designs brought joy to so many others.  I feel so sad for her family.


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## lorihmatthews

It's true, confirmed by NYPD. Tragic.


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## bisbee

On her birthday...55 today.  Her daughter is 13.


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## gingarita

canto bight said:


> My sister just called and told me and I thought she was mistaking her for someone else, but sure enough she was right.  May Kate find peace.  Her designs brought joy to so many others.  I feel so sad for her family.


Thanks for posting it was on CNN...in new york suicide this morning hanging and left a note SO SAD god bless her and her family


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## emchhardy

Leaves behind a 13 year old daughter and her husband of 24 years.  Very sad.
Goes to show you can have the world by the tail and still not be happy...


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## BagOuttaHell

This is terrible news. May she RIP. I read she has a 13 year old daughter.

I like her totes. Very durable.


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## berrydiva

Wow!!! Very sad...you never really know what's going on inside of people.


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## blkbarbie310

Very sad indeed.


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## tally2ball

So sad.  May she RIP.


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## chloebagfreak

So sad


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## daisychainz

Just heard from a friend. Shocking and sad. I thought maybe it was a plane crash or something... just goes to show we have no idea the pain others feel inside.


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## leechiyong

Such a tragedy.  My heart goes out to her family.


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## vink

May her Rest In Peace. I read her interview years ago while she just started her brands and it was all the rage back then. She’s a very admirable in the attitude that she had. I like her simple but classy design.


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## sdkitty

gingarita said:


> Thanks for posting it was on CNN...in new york suicide this morning hanging and left a note SO SAD god bless her and her family


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## sdkitty

hanging.....seems more horrid compared to pills


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## Brandless

What! This is shocking news! May she Rest In Peace.


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## ScottyGal

So sad


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## tweegy

So sad


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## k5ml3k

So sad...


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## JazzyMac

hotshot said:


> Just announced on CBS news Kate Spade dead of an apparent suicide.
> Her housekeeper found her this morning in her apartment on Park Ave & 77th St NYC
> More details to come



Wow.  Very shocked.


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## Scully Piper

So sad. Kate Spade was one of the reasons I fell in love with designer bags. May she rest in peace.


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## kemilia

Just read this, so sad. May she rest in peace.


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## TC1

BagOuttaHell said:


> This is terrible news. May she RIP. I read she has a 13 year old daughter.
> 
> I like her totes. Very durable.


She sold her entire label in 2006. So she wouldn't have seen a penny of all the sales these days. I think Coach bought the brand just last year for billions. Odd to have your name on products every day that you have no ownership of. So sad.


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## Kansashalo

RIP.  *hugs* to everyone out there going through something.


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## Liz2530

Wow..this is very sad! May she RIP.


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## zinacef

So sad, remembered when she first came out with the nylon box looking purse around ‘95 and it was such a hit.  Sad to know that she passed away —- by hanging with a scarf on a door handle. I can’t imagine the choking and pain.  Reminds me of that designer that passed away also years ago.


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## Bentley1

So very sad!


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## JadaStormy

I just overheard a co-worker and I thought she was wrong!! Wow. I remember a line from a Kanye West song, "The people highest up have the lowest self-esteem." May she RIP.


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## lulu212121

RIP. So sad to read this. I loved her black nylon totes! They were "it" back in the day! I still use a couple of her leather made in Italy bags with the suede interiors. Such well made bags & easy to care for.


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## seasounds

zinacef said:


> So sad, remembered when she first came out with the nylon box looking purse around ‘95 and it was such a hit.  Sad to know that she passed away —- by hanging with a scarf on a door handle. I can’t imagine the choking and pain.  Reminds me of that designer that passed away also years ago.


It was L'Wrenn Scott.  She was the longtime girlfriend of Mick Jagger.


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## katev

How terribly tragic!
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...igner-dead-at-55/ar-AAyg8xL?OCID=ansmsnnews11


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## Luv2Shop1

OMG, I am in total shock! 

Incredibly sad, the loneliness and pain that lead her to end her life.

RIP Kate...


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## YuYu90

That's so terrible. Her poor family.


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## ivdw

So sad...


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## jaffa

This is so sad. I have a half-dozen Kate Spade bags in my closet. She leaves behind a legacy of colorful whimsical style. I’ll have to pull my favorite one out and carry it in her honor.


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## tatertot

So heartbreaking


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## cindylouwho

bisbee said:


> On her birthday...55 today.  Her daughter is 13.


It is not her birthday today.  She was born in 
December.


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## Doribelle

jaffa said:


> This is so sad. I have a half-dozen Kate Spade bags in my closet. She leaves behind a legacy of colorful whimsical style. I’ll have to pull my favorite one out and carry it in her honor.


Great idea!  Lets all carry our Kate bags in honor.  So sad, what a creative woman she was!


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## daisychainz

x


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## gelbergirl

RIP Kate Spade.
The Kate Spade bags were so it and then the accessories, everyone loved them.
I had 3 daily planners that I rotated.  The inserts were chic and beautiful.
Again, rest in peace to this lady.


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## ManilaMama

RIP!!! So tragic! 

May her family, especially her young daughter, have strength in this difficult time. 

I have a good number of her items! I will think of her fondly when I use them.


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## zinacef

Very odd but today I was going thru my different little purses to use to run errands and I chose Kate spade. For all of us that still has Kate spade handbags let’s wear them today in this lady’s honor. Truthfully she was my first venture out to designer stuff in the 90’s.


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## eleanors36

katev said:


> How terribly tragic!
> https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...igner-dead-at-55/ar-AAyg8xL?OCID=ansmsnnews11


I saw this.  So very sad.


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## bisbee

cindylouwho said:


> It is not her birthday today.  She was born in
> December.


So sorry...my mistake.


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## SandyC1981

Big Kate Spade fan...hearing about this makes me very sad!


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## MizGemma

RIP. This is just tragic.

I heard this from a Bob Dylan song the other day:

_It's either fortune or fame
Though neither of them are to be what they claim_


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## Irishgal

Of course I didn’t know her but any time I hear of a person taking their own life my heart breaks.


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## 19flowers

I still have several of her bags from the very early years --- RIP


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## CeeJay

SO sad .. and her husband was home at the time!  She must have been in terrible pain, leaving your 13-year-old daughter and a husband of 24 years.  I hope she finds the peace she needed.


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## Iluvbags

This is horrible
Didn’t know she had a daughter so young


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## toujours*chic

This is so very sad to hear. Kate Spade was such a trial blazer and role model in an industry dominated by men. Her whimsical designs and playful use of color always bring a huge smile.

I am sure more information will come out in the days/weeks ahead. I wonder if she was struggling with a debilitating physical illness like Robin Williams?


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## Love Of My Life

Iluvbags said:


> This is horrible
> Didn’t know she had a daughter so young



Not only did she have a 13 year old daughter, but she started a line of handbags called Frances Valentine in her daughter's name
Very, very sad
Her pain must have been overwhelming
Details are now coming out that Kate Spade suicide note had a message for her daughter
not to blame herself & to ask "daddy"
Her daughter was in school when this happened.


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## bankygirl

This is heartbreaking. I never met her but she had a very large influence in my life through her brand and designs, it was through her vision that I was able to find my sense of style. Because of her I fell in love with fashion, and started crafting my own clothes. I hope she can find peace, and I hope her family can find some comfort in knowing that she was loved and admired. Lifting them with love and keeping them in my thoughts during this difficult time. I am at a loss.


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## CoachCruiser

My mom texted me this news and I thought that I was seeing things - I had to look twice. I've loved her designs and her spirit for years. I'm shocked, honestly. She was only 55. I can only wonder what was going through her mind. But I wish her peace. And I wish her husband and young daughter peace as well. This is so shocking - I'm not sure what the news will reveal, but it does go to show that depression (or whatever she was dealing with) knows no age, or looks, or social status.


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## bag-mania

Geez, I don't know how TMZ ferrets out their information. It's disturbing that they got hold of something as personal as the suicide note.

*
"Kate Spade*'s suicide note was addressed directly to her 13-year-old daughter ... TMZ has learned.

The note was found on a bed near her body and, according to law enforcement sources it read, "Bea - I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!"

We're also told the housekeeper found her tied with a red scarf to a closet door knob in bedroom. She was unresponsive and cold to the touch.

The housekeeper ran downstairs to building's main floor to tell the building's superintendent ... who, we're told ... rushed upstairs, cut the scarf and attempted CPR.

Paramedics declared Kate dead at the scene."

http://www.tmz.com/2018/06/05/kate-spade-suicide-note-daughter-ask-daddy/


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## Galaxygrrl

It's very sad indeed.  I listened to this podcast the other day with Kate and your huspand and business partner Jack and they talked about building their business.  It was an awesome story.  Thought it was worth posting  here now. 

A 1991 conversation at a Mexican restaurant led Kate & Andy Spade to ask, "What's missing in designer handbags?" Kate's answer was a simple modern-shaped handbag that launched the iconic fashion brand

https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=513311127:513326948


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## sdkitty

13 is a difficult age for girls anyway.  this is going to be terrible for her.


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## BagOuttaHell

> "Bea - I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!"



This is going to cause a lot of speculation.


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## Love Of My Life

sdkitty said:


> 13 is a difficult age for girls anyway.  this is going to be terrible for her.



Her life will never ever be the same, sadly speaking... This was her mother & a very tender
age for this huge loss


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## canto bight

I'm kind of disgusted that her note, her very personal note addressed to her poor baby girl, was made public so quickly (or at all).


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## BagOuttaHell

If that note is true. She basically set her daughter up to resent the father. This is too much


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## Love Of My Life

BagOuttaHell said:


> This is going to cause a lot of speculation.





canto bight said:


> I'm kind of disgusted that her note, her very personal note addressed to her poor baby girl, was made public so quickly (or at all).


Agree....
It should have remained personal at it was likely intended
It a very sad scenario now for this young girl to ask "daddy" why this all happened?


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## ShoreGrl

BagOuttaHell said:


> If that note is true. She basically set her daughter up to resent the father. This is too much



I agree. This poor girl.


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## bag-mania

BagOuttaHell said:


> If that note is true. She basically set her daughter up to resent the father. This is too much



“Ask daddy” could be taken two ways. The first and most obvious is blame being sent in the father’s direction. But you could also interpret it as maybe she knew her husband could explain to their daughter about Kate’s depression (or whatever issues she was having that made her do it) and the father could reiterate that it was not in any way the daughter’s fault. 

I’m hoping it was the latter.


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## Love Of My Life

bag-mania said:


> “Ask daddy” could be taken two ways. The first and most obvious is blame being sent in the father’s direction. But you could also interpret it as maybe she knew her husband could explain to their daughter about Kate’s depression (or whatever issues she was having that made her do it) and the father could reiterate that it was not in any way the daughter’s fault.
> 
> I’m hoping it was the latter.



Whatever the explanation might be, this young girl is going to grow up without her mother & who knows what the spin daddy is going to put on all this...
It's a terrible sadnes all around no matter what he might say.. A lot for a young girl to grasp
Tragic...


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## gelbergirl

Gosh those bags were terrific.  Back in the late 90's, I was in graduate school.
Sometimes before class, a few of us gals, we'd talk about the bags and accessories.
It was such a fun way to bond.
I feel for those left behind.


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## sdkitty

hotshot said:


> Whatever the explanation might be, this young girl is going to grow up without her mother & who knows what the spin daddy is going to put on all this...
> It's a terrible sadnes all around no matter what he might say.. A lot for a young girl to grasp
> Tragic...


Right.  I just hope (assuming this is true about the note) that it wasn't intended to spite the husband.  Possibly he knew or her mental or physical pain and that's what she was alluding to.  If it was the former, that would be unspeakably cruel.


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## Love Of My Life

sdkitty said:


> Right.  I just hope (assuming this is true about the note) that it wasn't intended to spite the husband.  Possibly he knew or her mental or physical pain and that's what she was alluding to.  If it was the former, that would be unspeakably cruel.



The more info that is being released the more heartbreaking this situation is
Whether is was business related, health issues , unhappy relationship  its a very tragic ending to a woman who was
admired by many & perhaps kept too much inside & no one detected her distress.


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## meluvs2shop

So sad.


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## OutWest

I hope TMZ gets sued into the ground for this. It’s likely that a family would withhold a mother’s suicide note from a child till she’s much older, if not forever, because what child should have to read a parents’ suicide note? Now she’ll undoubtedly read about it on the internet, see it on tv, or be told it about by a peer. What bottom feeders people at TMZ are! All to boost ratings and clicks. I think I’m actually going to email them my p*ssed-offedness.


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## sdkitty

OutWest said:


> I hope TMZ gets sued into the ground for this. It’s likely that a family would withhold a mother’s suicide note from a child till she’s much older, if not forever, because what child should have to read a parents’ suicide note? Now she’ll undoubtedly read about it on the internet, see it on tv, or be told it about by a peer. What bottom feeders people at TMZ are! All to boost ratings and clicks. I think I’m actually going to email them my p*ssed-offedness.


I think TMZ is usually accurate.  I'd like to know what person in law enforcement gave them the info and whether they've been reprimanded or punished in some way


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## MarvelGirl

Couldn't believe this when I saw it today either. Every woman I know has purchased and carried one of her bags or worn a pair of her shoes at some point. Like all of you have written, we truly have no idea the pain and suffering others carry day in and day out. I too pray for peace for her daughter mostly, but also her husband. If that suicide note did in fact say what it said about her husband, I feel for him. If they had a fight (as we do in relationships and marriages), sometimes we say things we don't mean in anger. I hope that did not happen because the guilt for him will probably be almost too much to bear. So sad. RIP.


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## Hierophilic

IMPORTANT REMINDER!: If you or anyone you know feels hopeless and like the only way out is suicide, PLEASE reach out! I know that hearing of suicide can trigger suicidal thoughts in those of us who struggle with depression and mental illness in general, even if you didn’t know the person. Remember there is only one of you, and you are important and loved. You’re never a burden.

SUICIDE HOTLINES:
Argentina: +5402234930430
Australia: 131114
Austria: 017133374
Belgium: 106
Bosnia & Herzegovina: 080 05 03 05
Botswana: 3911270
Brazil: 212339191
Canada: 5147234000 (Montreal); 18662773553 (outside Montreal)
Croatia: 014833888
Denmark: +4570201201
Egypt: 7621602
Finland: 010 195 202
France: 0145394000
Germany: 08001810771
Holland: 09000767
Hong Kong: +852 2382 0000
Hungary: 116123
India: 8888817666
Ireland: +4408457909090
Italy: 800860022
Japan: +810352869090
Mexico: 5255102550
New Zealand: 045861048
Norway: +4781533300
Philippines: 028969191
Poland: 5270000
Russia: 0078202577577
Spain: 914590050
South Africa: 0514445691
Sweden: 46317112400
Switzerland: 143
United Kingdom: 08457909090
USA: 18002738255


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## nycmamaofone

Alexander McQueen, L'wren Scott, and now Kate Spade? [emoji27]

One can only imagine the kind of immense suffering she felt to leave behind her daughter. I hope the press will leave her alone to mourn in peace. As someone who knew someone who committed suicide, I know how dark it is for those left behind to fathom the unfathomable. RIP to a creative and innovative designer.


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## sdkitty

MarvelGirl said:


> Couldn't believe this when I saw it today either. Every woman I know has purchased and carried one of her bags or worn a pair of her shoes at some point. Like all of you have written, we truly have no idea the pain and suffering others carry day in and day out. I too pray for peace for her daughter mostly, but also her husband. If that suicide note did in fact say what it said about her husband, I feel for him. If they had a fight (as we do in relationships and marriages), sometimes we say things we don't mean in anger. I hope that did not happen because the guilt for him will probably be almost too much to bear. So sad. RIP.


If it was implying that it's his fault I doubt it would be the result of a fight.  More likely a larger issue - betrayal of some sort.


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## dgphoto

I was very saddened to hear this news today. She was a revolutionist who was much too young to die. God rest her soul and give peace to her family left behind.


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## Katiesmama

RIP Kate Spade. Prayers for her family and friends.


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## nycmamaofone

sdkitty said:


> If it was implying that it's his fault I doubt it would be the result of a fight.  More likely a larger issue - betrayal of some sort.



I just read that the husband was looking for a new apartment, so they must have had marital problems.


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## Love Of My Life

nycmamaofone said:


> I just read that the husband was looking for a new apartment, so they must have had marital problems.



Whatever the problems might have been in the marriage/relationship, for her to think that suicide was the only way, is very very sad.


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## canto bight

Hierophilic said:


> IMPORTANT REMINDER!: If you or anyone you know feels hopeless and like the only way out is suicide, PLEASE reach out! I know that hearing of suicide can trigger suicidal thoughts in those of us who struggle with depression and mental illness in general, even if you didn’t know the person. Remember there is only one of you, and you are important and loved. You’re never a burden.
> 
> SUICIDE HOTLINES:
> Argentina: +5402234930430
> Australia: 131114
> Austria: 017133374
> Belgium: 106
> Bosnia & Herzegovina: 080 05 03 05
> Botswana: 3911270
> Brazil: 212339191
> Canada: 5147234000 (Montreal); 18662773553 (outside Montreal)
> Croatia: 014833888
> Denmark: +4570201201
> Egypt: 7621602
> Finland: 010 195 202
> France: 0145394000
> Germany: 08001810771
> Holland: 09000767
> Hong Kong: +852 2382 0000
> Hungary: 116123
> India: 8888817666
> Ireland: +4408457909090
> Italy: 800860022
> Japan: +810352869090
> Mexico: 5255102550
> New Zealand: 045861048
> Norway: +4781533300
> Philippines: 028969191
> Poland: 5270000
> Russia: 0078202577577
> Spain: 914590050
> South Africa: 0514445691
> Sweden: 46317112400
> Switzerland: 143
> United Kingdom: 08457909090
> USA: 18002738255



I cannot than you enough for posting this.


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## Hierophilic

canto bight said:


> I cannot than you enough for posting this.



You’re so welcome. I just don’t want anyone else to ever go through what we did, and the fact a little girl lost her mom today just guts me. 

I lost my brother. I wish he could’ve known how much we’d miss him, and that there was help.


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## BagOuttaHell

The reports are that they were having financial problems and he was looking for a place to stay.


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## labelwhore04

I can't believe this. I just got a Kate Spade bracelet for my birthday yesterday. So unbelievably tragic for her poor daughter, losing her mother at such a sensitive age. Regarding the note, when i first read about it i thought she meant like "ask your dad because he'll be able to explain my illness, etc" but after reading about their marital problems, i'm thinking she was alluding to the fact that her suicide was his fault, which is completely disgusting and makes me lose all the respect i had for her. I mean i understand that she clearly wasn't in her right mind, but that is an unbelievably cruel thing to do. I'm wondering who even leaked the note to the media?? Her poor daughter, smh.


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## MarvelGirl

sdkitty said:


> If it was implying that it's his fault I doubt it would be the result of a fight.  More likely a larger issue - betrayal of some sort.



I know. That is what I meant. Could be that she found out or he confessed and they fought over it...maybe ending with her feeling like she had lost him/her life and family as she has known it. Her security blanket. And couple that with "losing" her company not too long ago, etc. It may have been too much (for someone who was already very fragile) to bear.


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## Luv2Shop1

So sad, but not unexpected according to her sister:

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.kansascity.com/news/local/article212609069.html

#tragic


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## bagnutt

Shocking and tragic.
One of the first “designer” bags that I bought with my own money was the KS black nylon messenger. Still have it. 
Goes to show you never know what a person struggles with or what goes on behind closed doors.


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## mdcx

Luv2Shop1 said:


> So sad, but not unexpected according to her sister:
> 
> https://www.google.com/amp/amp.kansascity.com/news/local/article212609069.html
> 
> #tragic



Oh my goodness, the sisters comments are heartbreaking.

Anyone judging the reported contents of Kate's note - she wasn't in her right mind when she wrote that. I pray that her daughter and her husband can one day understand that.

Poor Kate.


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## Longchamp

RIP KS. 

Just read the article from a newspaper that interviewed her sister out in New Mexico. If you get a chance, read the article. Appears KS was hurtING for a long time. I thought her manner of death was similar to Robin Williams. Sounds like KS has been suicidal for quite some time. Heartbreaking to lose a life too early.
Hope her daughter finds a calm and nurturing place to land after this.


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## Longchamp

Oh good, someone posted the article, thank you.  Just saw your post.


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## sdkitty

Luv2Shop1 said:


> So sad, but not unexpected according to her sister:
> 
> https://www.google.com/amp/amp.kansascity.com/news/local/article212609069.html
> 
> #tragic


this seems awfully personal for her sister to talk about the same day she died


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## bag-mania

I’m not sure about that sister. She contacted the media and spilled an awful lot of personal information about Kate unnecessarily. That’s not something a loving family member would do. I’m getting kind of a jealous/bitter vibe from her, reminds me a bit of Meghan Markel‘s half-sister.


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## HeartMyMJs

So sad and tragic.  I thought it was a hoax but it’s true.  Rest in peace KS.

Back in the 90s, I worked so hard that I bought the boxy black shoulder bag with the matching wallet in black with my first paycheck!!  I loved it so much I bought the black backpack too.


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## fashion16

Am I the only one who read this article and thought about how inappropriate it was given the timing?

Some things are better left unsaid.


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## bag-mania

fashion16 said:


> Am I the only one who read this article and thought about how inappropriate it was given the timing?
> 
> Some things are better left unsaid.



Nope. It was incredibly inappropriate. As I said above it sounds like the sister is doing a bit of attention-seeking for herself. Her story doesn’t even make sense. Kate sold her company over 10 years ago. So why would she be worried that being in treatment would make the brand look bad? She hadn’t been part of the brand for a long time.


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## mnl

So sad .
I feel for her family.  Losing a loved one is always hard, but I know first hand how difficult suicide is for a family.  I hope her daughter has lots of support and love to help her heal during this tragic time.

I loved Kate Spade bags back in the 90’s.  The first thing I bought with my first paycheck after college was a black Kate Spade tote bag.  I still have it today.


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## Brandless

Usually with celebrity deaths like this, the tendency is for the surviving family to seek privacy. Sad that everything is being fed to the media just a few hours after her death—from the suicide note to the comments from the sister.


----------



## mdcx

The sister may be overwhelmed with frustration that Kate refused treatment. It sounds like this outcome was a long time coming.

Knowing that someone struggled with mental illness for a lifetime and that their illness was not "under control" with medication and/or therapy makes suicide a lot more understandable, so I think what she revealed was helpful.


----------



## soramillay

Extremely sad news. I hope we can have a In Memoriam piece written for on Purseblog commemorating her life and her iconic designs. @Megs, would you do the honour?


----------



## ebonyeleven

Her estranged sister  needs to sit down and shut the hell up. The daily mail must pay well .


----------



## mdcx

ebonyeleven said:


> Her estranged sister  needs to sit down and shut the hell up. The daily mail must pay well .



The sister emailed the Kansas City Star after they published a story about Kate. I don't think she spoke to The Daily Mail.


----------



## Stansy

This is today‘s first page of the website.


----------



## CoachCruiser

Her sister's inappropriate comments, veiled as grief, make me so angry. Talk about an attention hog. She called her a "dear little person." How lovely. Kate Spade's death comes as a shock because she hid her mental illness so well - she was terrified of what treatment would do to the reputation of her namesake brand, and for good reason - the stigma about mental health issues has improved, but it's still there. It's so sad. (And yes, I do wish she sought treatment, but it just goes to show how strongly she felt that people would react negatively to that.) I feel horrible for her 13-year-old daughter. May the family grieve in private without further "spilling" from the sister, and may Kate Spade rest in peace.


----------



## BagOuttaHell

The sis is probably talking about FV Regarding her brand and image.


----------



## nope!

https://people.com/style/kate-spade...uicide-not-unexpected-suffered-mental-illnes/

Kate Spade‘s family are at odds after the late designer’s death on Tuesday at age 55.

Spade’s older sister Reta Brosnahan Saffo, 57, made statements to multiple outlets on Tuesday night saying she believes her sister suffered from a mental illness for a number of years and that Spade’s suicide “was not unexpected by me.”

However, a source close to the family claims Brosnahan Saffo has long been estranged from her designer sister, whom the source says was as a “kind, generous, funny, warm and extremely private person.”

“The family is disgusted and saddened that at this time of great sorrow, Kate’s sister who has been estranged from the entire family for more than 10 years would choose to surface with unsubstantiated comments,” the source said to PEOPLE. “Her statements paint a picture of someone who didn’t know her at all.”

Brosnahan Saffo, however, reportedly told her local paper _The Kansas City Star_ via email that she and Spade spoke on the phone for “6 to 7 hours” on end prior to Spade’s death.

Brosnahan Saffo emailed that her sister had suffered “three to four years of mental illness” and “chickened out” from multiple attempts to seek treatment.

“I will say [Kate’s suicide] was not unexpected by me,” Brosnahan Saffo wrote in her exchange with _The Star_, to which she admitted taking a sedative before speaking with her hometown newspaper. “Sometimes you simply cannot SAVE people from themselves!”

According to Brosnahan Saffo, her late sibling was “concerned how hospitalization might harm the image of the happy-go-lucky Kate Spade brand,” and had “eventually became full-on manic depressive” due to the “stress and pressure” of her empire.

Manic depression is a term once used to discribe bipolar disorder.

Brosnahan Saffo reached out to her local paper initially to correct the way it had written Spade’s childhood name, Katy. She was asked to speak about her sister with the publication via phone but said, as she was sedated, email was best. It’s unclear what steps the paper took to confirm Saffo’s identity. However, she has previously appeared in _The Star._

In the email, Brosnahan Saffo wrote she had tried to get her sister to seek treatment for her mental illness.

“[Kate] was all set to go — but then chickened out by morning,” Brosnahan Saffo said, recalling one instance of trying to take the beloved handbag creator to the “same place Catherine Zeta-Jones went for her successful bipolar treatment program.”

Brosnahan Saffo added, “I’d come so VERY close to getting her to go in for treatment. … We’d get sooo close to packing her bags, but — in the end, the ‘image’ of her brand (happy-go-lucky Kate Spade) was more important for her to keep up. She was definitely worried about what people would say if they found out.”

Brosnahan Saffo suggested her sister had a “plan [to take her own life] already set in motion” as Spade was “fixated” when news broke of Robin Williams death in August 2014.

“We were freaked out/saddened but she kept watching it and watching it over and over. I think the plan was already in motion even as far back as then,” said Safo, who detailed how her sister was at a hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico when she saw the television news report of Williams’ death which was ruled a suicide by asphyxiation.

Brosnahan Saffo also shared one of the final conversations she said she had with her sister.

“One of the last things she said to me was, ‘Reta, I know you hate funerals and don’t attend them, but for me would you PLEASE come to MINE, at least. Please!’ I know she perhaps had a plan, but she insisted she did not,” she recalled.

Saffo also released a statement to CBS New York and _Daily Mail_ that read: “My little sister Katy was a precious, precious little person. Genuine in almost every way. She was surrounded by YES people, for far too long, therefore she did not receive the proper care for what I believe to be (and tried numerous times to get help for) Bipolar disorder… stemming from her immense celebrity. She never expected it — nor was she properly prepared for it. Unfortunately, untreated, it finally took its toll on her.”

Police confirmed Spade was found hanging from a red scarf Tuesday morning in her bedroom at her and Andy’s Park Avenue home in Manhattan. The scarf had reportedly been tied to her door. Her husband Andy was in the apartment at the time of his wife’s death while their 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix was at school, as reported by the Associated Press.

A housekeeper discovered her, according to a police source, and she left a suicide note addressed to their only child Frances.

_If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

_


----------



## AustinLVMom

labelwhore04 said:


> I can't believe this. I just got a Kate Spade bracelet for my birthday yesterday. So unbelievably tragic for her poor daughter, losing her mother at such a sensitive age. Regarding the note, when i first read about it i thought she meant like "ask your dad because he'll be able to explain my illness, etc" but after reading about their marital problems, i'm thinking she was alluding to the fact that her suicide was his fault, which is completely disgusting and makes me lose all the respect i had for her. I mean i understand that she clearly wasn't in her right mind, but that is an unbelievably cruel thing to do. I'm wondering who even leaked the note to the media?? Her poor daughter, smh.



The note stated that Kate has always loved her and that it wasn’t her fault. Ask Daddy! The headlines were linked to several interviews that Kate gave, in which she explained that she happily sold the company to be a stay at home mom to her daughter. It was a role that she adored. Rather than assume that there was malicious intent, I interpreted the note to simply mean that Bea’s father will be able to tell her how much Kate loved her. He would be able to share all of the stories of a lifetime of love.

I assume light and love, rather than assume that this adored woman was actually a hidden monster who would choose to leave her 13 year old daughter with the burden of doubting and blaming her only surviving parent.


----------



## AustinLVMom

AustinLVMom said:


> The note stated that Kate has always loved her and that it wasn’t her fault. Ask Daddy! The headlines were linked to several interviews that Kate gave, in which she explained that she happily sold the company to be a stay at home mom to her daughter. It was a role that she adored. Rather than assume that there was malicious intent, I interpreted the note to simply mean that Bea’s father will be able to tell her how much Kate loved her. He would be able to share all of the stories of a lifetime of love.
> 
> I assume light and love, rather than assume that this adored woman was actually a hidden monster who would choose to leave her 13 year old daughter with the burden of doubting and blaming her only surviving parent.



Actually, I would like to amend my comment. It isn’t for any of us to assume anything. The personal life of Kate Spade should not be open for public interpretation. I should have said that I choose to believe in light and love, especially in a final message from a mother to her only child, rather than to assume that she had malicious intent.


----------



## Love Of My Life

CoachCruiser said:


> Her sister's inappropriate comments, veiled as grief, make me so angry. Talk about an attention hog. She called her a "dear little person." How lovely. Kate Spade's death comes as a shock because she hid her mental illness so well - she was terrified of what treatment would do to the reputation of her namesake brand, and for good reason - the stigma about mental health issues has improved, but it's still there. It's so sad. (And yes, I do wish she sought treatment, but it just goes to show how strongly she felt that people would react negatively to that.) I feel horrible for her 13-year-old daughter. May the family grieve in private without further "spilling" from the sister, and may Kate Spade rest in peace.



Well said & for many the stigma still continues for mental illness  & prevents one from seeking the treatment they so desperately need.
I'm truly sorry for their loss & for the loss of what Kate Spade brought to the marketplace. In her time, she was a pioneer, an extraordinary
 woman & she added so much the design world of handbags


----------



## bag-mania

*David Spade Mourns Kate Spade’s Death In Moving Photo Tributes*

David Spade expressed grief over the death of sister-in-law Kate Spade in pictures.

The actor and comedian posted a photo Tuesday of the two smiling at each other during a family Christmas visit, writing: “We had so much fun that day. She was so sharp and quick on her feet. She could make me laugh so hard.”

The fashion designer, who was married to the “Saturday Night Live” alum’s brother Andy, died in an apparent suicide at age 55 earlier in the day.

On Twitter, Spade shared a photo of his sister-in-law at his book-signing. He praised her beauty and sense of humor, and repeated the advice from his Instagram photo. “It’s a rough world out there people,” he wrote. “Try to hang on.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-spade-kate-spade-death_us_5b17ac85e4b09578259d4139


----------



## MizGemma

sdkitty said:


> I think TMZ is usually accurate.  I'd like to know what person in law enforcement gave them the info and whether they've been reprimanded or punished in some way


 This is the NYC PD. They have lots of corruption and doubt the employee(s) who did this will be disciplined.


----------



## TC1

volksverhetzung said:


> https://people.com/style/kate-spade...uicide-not-unexpected-suffered-mental-illnes/
> 
> Kate Spade‘s family are at odds after the late designer’s death on Tuesday at age 55.
> 
> Spade’s older sister Reta Brosnahan Saffo, 57, made statements to multiple outlets on Tuesday night saying she believes her sister suffered from a mental illness for a number of years and that Spade’s suicide “was not unexpected by me.”
> 
> However, a source close to the family claims Brosnahan Saffo has long been estranged from her designer sister, whom the source says was as a “kind, generous, funny, warm and extremely private person.”
> 
> “The family is disgusted and saddened that at this time of great sorrow, Kate’s sister who has been estranged from the entire family for more than 10 years would choose to surface with unsubstantiated comments,” the source said to PEOPLE. “Her statements paint a picture of someone who didn’t know her at all.”
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo, however, reportedly told her local paper _The Kansas City Star_ via email that she and Spade spoke on the phone for “6 to 7 hours” on end prior to Spade’s death.
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo emailed that her sister had suffered “three to four years of mental illness” and “chickened out” from multiple attempts to seek treatment.
> 
> “I will say [Kate’s suicide] was not unexpected by me,” Brosnahan Saffo wrote in her exchange with _The Star_, to which she admitted taking a sedative before speaking with her hometown newspaper. “Sometimes you simply cannot SAVE people from themselves!”
> 
> According to Brosnahan Saffo, her late sibling was “concerned how hospitalization might harm the image of the happy-go-lucky Kate Spade brand,” and had “eventually became full-on manic depressive” due to the “stress and pressure” of her empire.
> 
> Manic depression is a term once used to discribe bipolar disorder.
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo reached out to her local paper initially to correct the way it had written Spade’s childhood name, Katy. She was asked to speak about her sister with the publication via phone but said, as she was sedated, email was best. It’s unclear what steps the paper took to confirm Saffo’s identity. However, she has previously appeared in _The Star._
> 
> In the email, Brosnahan Saffo wrote she had tried to get her sister to seek treatment for her mental illness.
> 
> “[Kate] was all set to go — but then chickened out by morning,” Brosnahan Saffo said, recalling one instance of trying to take the beloved handbag creator to the “same place Catherine Zeta-Jones went for her successful bipolar treatment program.”
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo added, “I’d come so VERY close to getting her to go in for treatment. … We’d get sooo close to packing her bags, but — in the end, the ‘image’ of her brand (happy-go-lucky Kate Spade) was more important for her to keep up. She was definitely worried about what people would say if they found out.”
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo suggested her sister had a “plan [to take her own life] already set in motion” as Spade was “fixated” when news broke of Robin Williams death in August 2014.
> 
> “We were freaked out/saddened but she kept watching it and watching it over and over. I think the plan was already in motion even as far back as then,” said Safo, who detailed how her sister was at a hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico when she saw the television news report of Williams’ death which was ruled a suicide by asphyxiation.
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo also shared one of the final conversations she said she had with her sister.
> 
> “One of the last things she said to me was, ‘Reta, I know you hate funerals and don’t attend them, but for me would you PLEASE come to MINE, at least. Please!’ I know she perhaps had a plan, but she insisted she did not,” she recalled.
> 
> Saffo also released a statement to CBS New York and _Daily Mail_ that read: “My little sister Katy was a precious, precious little person. Genuine in almost every way. She was surrounded by YES people, for far too long, therefore she did not receive the proper care for what I believe to be (and tried numerous times to get help for) Bipolar disorder… stemming from her immense celebrity. She never expected it — nor was she properly prepared for it. Unfortunately, untreated, it finally took its toll on her.”
> 
> Police confirmed Spade was found hanging from a red scarf Tuesday morning in her bedroom at her and Andy’s Park Avenue home in Manhattan. The scarf had reportedly been tied to her door. Her husband Andy was in the apartment at the time of his wife’s death while their 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix was at school, as reported by the Associated Press.
> 
> A housekeeper discovered her, according to a police source, and she left a suicide note addressed to their only child Frances.
> 
> _If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
> _


Her sister obviously just just our looking for some attention. Saying that Kate didn't seek help wiith mental issues because she didn't want to "damage her happy go lucky brand". Ummm It wasn't her brand for over 10 years! How can you damage a brand by seeking therapy for issues you have when you haven't got a single share in the company?. Ridiculous. Sad that these estraged family members come out of the woodwork for attention (Megan Markle's family comes to mind in the press)


----------



## sdkitty

TC1 said:


> Her sister obviously just just our looking for some attention. Saying that Kate didn't seek help wiith mental issues because she didn't want to "damage her happy go lucky brand". Ummm It wasn't her brand for over 10 years! How can you damage a brand by seeking therapy for issues you have when you haven't got a single share in the company?. Ridiculous. Sad that these estraged family members come out of the woodwork for attention (Megan Markle's family comes to mind in the press)


and she is getting the attention....this morning CBS reported on an email they got from her


----------



## Love Of My Life

TC1 said:


> Her sister obviously just just our looking for some attention. Saying that Kate didn't seek help wiith mental issues because she didn't want to "damage her happy go lucky brand". Ummm It wasn't her brand for over 10 years! How can you damage a brand by seeking therapy for issues you have when you haven't got a single share in the company?. Ridiculous. Sad that these estraged family members come out of the woodwork for attention (Megan Markle's family comes to mind in the press)



Absolutely ridiculous & by her sister sharing all this is very reflective of her character.
Seeking treatment is a personal choice & decision & if it shared with a family member who would consider discussing private family issues, should be ashamed of herself.
Her daughter is suffering & doesn't need her sadness to be compounded by a mean aunt.
How about "no comment " to the press. The family is grieving &is asking for privacy during
a very difficult time.


----------



## bag-mania

sdkitty said:


> and she is getting the attention....this morning CBS reported on an email they got from her



That sister is a piece of work. She's acting like she was much closer to Kate than she apparently was.

There were reports this morning that Kate's husband wanted a divorce and she did not. I hate to think that that was the tipping point for her. No man is worth killing yourself over!


----------



## sdkitty

CoachCruiser said:


> Her sister's inappropriate comments, veiled as grief, make me so angry. Talk about an attention hog. She called her a "dear little person." How lovely. Kate Spade's death comes as a shock because she hid her mental illness so well - she was terrified of what treatment would do to the reputation of her namesake brand, and for good reason - the stigma about mental health issues has improved, but it's still there. It's so sad. (And yes, I do wish she sought treatment, but it just goes to show how strongly she felt that people would react negatively to that.) I feel horrible for her 13-year-old daughter. May the family grieve in private without further "spilling" from the sister, and may Kate Spade rest in peace.


I doubt we've heard the last from the sister.  I expect to see her on the morning talk shows soon.  This is her opportunity to get the attention.


----------



## Love Of My Life

bag-mania said:


> That sister is a piece of work. She's acting like she was much closer to Kate than she apparently was.
> 
> There were reports this morning that Kate's husband wanted a divorce and she did not. I hate to think that that was the tipping point for her. No man is worth killing yourself over!



As many of us know, marriages are complex enough & perhaps compounded when there are children.
No one knows what went on behind closed doors at the home of the Spades.
Kate appeared to be rather private & perhaps didn't have a close inner circle of confidantes or friendships that she found comforting or trusting.
Many of us feel sad that she wasn't able to perhaps find the treatment she needed where she felt her life was valued& worth living.


----------



## FrenchBulldog

I am so utterly heartbroken.  To feel such hopelessness that ending the pain drove you to end your life is inconceivable.  Alas, that pain is now passed on to the people who loved her most.  RIP Kate Spade.


----------



## ayyylex

This is so heartbreaking.


----------



## gelbergirl

I do not think it would have been odd for such a well known person to privately check into a treatment place for mental health or alcoholism (that was a problem too?) why not, Surely she had health insurance or private money to pay , many places will help with privacy.


----------



## bag-mania

Nice article from the _Washington Post_ about what Kate Spade and her designs meant to women.

*Kate Spade made fashion — and adulthood — feel like a party*
*For women of my generation, a Kate Spade purse was more than a handbag.*

I made two major wardrobe purchases in the summer of 2001, the year I graduated from college. The first was a tailored black pantsuit for interviews (picked, mostly, by my mom and the department store sales clerk). The second was a Kate Spade purse, bright as a persimmon and boxy as a present, lined in a floral print and tied up with a little bow, like a secret. Can you guess which one made postgraduate life seem like fun?

It surely wasn’t the suit, which made me look like a stranger to myself in the dressing room mirror. I remember twisting, recto, verso, frowning at my reflection, while my mom reassured me — “The trousers are supposed to be long. They’ll be the right length when you’re wearing pumps.” But the suit was dull, and I didn’t own pumps. Rather than grown up, I felt old.

The Kate Spade bag was altogether different. I discovered it on my graduation trip to New York, my first time in that city without a parent and with a credit card, and I was dizzy with freedom. My friend Anne Marie and I skipped the tour of Ellis Island, because we could, and instead walked the streets of SoHo, staring in the shop windows, eating soft serve and imagining our futures aloud.

Kate Spade was one of the few stores we actually dared to go in. There, a blond sales clerk with a cherry-coke manicure offered us something fizzy to drink and pulled bag after bag for the two of us to try. The store smelled of fresh-cut peonies and crisp paper. We were giddy. Shopping there felt like a party — one that we had been expressly invited to. It’s the warmth of the shop that I still remember today, the way two young girls wearing shabby T-shirts and flip-flops were made to feel welcome, rather than intimidated, as we had been in the other boutiques.

I left that day with a purse, my first real bag — one which would replace my L.L. Bean backpack and mark my transition from college student to grown woman. I think it cost $200, which was a fortune for me at the time, but I knew even then that I was buying more than just a purse. I was investing in Kate Spade’s vision of the adult world, one where being a grown up, particularly being a grown-up woman, was not going to be gray and boring. Adult life with that persimmon bag was going to be fun.

I was the right generation — and, of course, class — of women to respond to Kate Spade’s cheerful aesthetic when she emerged in the late ’90s and early 2000s. When I graduated from college (and, simultaneously, from our undergrad uniform of Abercrombie jeans and sweaters), there seemed nowhere to go, sartorially speaking, but into the ubiquitous Washingtonian wardrobe of tailored black pants and button-down shirts. At that time, there was a yawning gap between accessible stores like Banana Republic and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton. Kate Spade’s prices were higher than Banana’s, but not unattainable for young professionals, and she filled that niche. She elevated young women out of the generic mall-store doldrums, but she did it with a refreshingly preppy practicality.

The black nylon Sam bag that was everywhere was popular for good reason: It was both chic and truly functional. Though it was large enough for a flip phone, a spiral-bound agenda and a magazine, it remained graciously proportioned. In general, her bags were constructed out of fun fabrics, rather than serious, heavy leathers. They were a modern alternative to the briefcase — ladylike, versatile and cool. You might be wearing a nondescript office uniform, but if you owned a Kate Spade tote, you were really wearing the handbag.

The details mattered. The bags were thoughtfully designed with many of the same luxury details the old leather houses offered: engraved hardware, cleverly placed pockets, elegant, even seams. And there were little touches: the protective dust cover that came with each bag, the whimsical little notes tucked inside, like this one a friend of mine still has, more than a decade later:

_“occasionally she dreams of italy. she dreams of cheese shops, persnickety fiats, and very fine leather goods …”
_
Like preppy fortune-cookie predictions, the notes were mysterious and enticing. Who was she, you wondered. Was she me?

And, indeed, you suddenly found yourself on the subway daydreaming about that study abroad trip to Rome and marveling at the pleasures and adventures of life.

Years later, when I was working as a fashion editor, I attended the Kate Spade Fashion Week presentations. The brand has changed hands several times since the Spades sold it to Neiman Marcus in 2006, and the ethos had changed slightly, too. The whimsy was still there, but it favored frivolity over function. The colors were brighter, the hardware flashier, everything dialed up a few notches. If shopping Kate Spade was still supposed to feel like a party, it had turned into the kind of party where the host is always hovering nearby, asking whether you are having fun, insisting you have another drink.

Unlike that first black interview suit, which I wore only a handful of times, I carried my Kate Spade bag every single day — no matter the occasion, no matter the weather — for years. It was the item that most made me feel not just like an adult, but like the kind of adult I wanted to be. A woman who was both practical and creative. Thoughtful and whimsical. Confident and warm. Not a woman of leisure, but a woman of adventure.

Perhaps fashion industry veteran Jen Mankins put it best in one of the hundreds of tributes to Kate Spade that flooded social media Tuesday after news of her apparent suicide was published. Kate Spade, Mankins wrote, “represented all the possibilities of where life could take you.” This is why Spade touched a nerve with my generation — because she celebrated all those possibilities, and designed bags for embarking on those adventures gracefully.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...a-party/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8d011634091e


----------



## lorihmatthews

Amazing how so many women can relate with their first KS bag and how it affected them. I had only read about her designs in magazines until I saw them first hand at Saks in San Francisco many years ago. There was an entire section of the store devoted to her new handbag line. Her bags were so different than more well established brands -- unique, whimsical, and fun. I remember walking through the displays and picking up every single bag. It was an experience different than with other brands, which is probably why the memory has stuck with me for years.


----------



## Love Of My Life

Hierophilic said:


> IMPORTANT REMINDER!: If you or anyone you know feels hopeless and like the only way out is suicide, PLEASE reach out! I know that hearing of suicide can trigger suicidal thoughts in those of us who struggle with depression and mental illness in general, even if you didn’t know the person. Remember there is only one of you, and you are important and loved. You’re never a burden.
> 
> SUICIDE HOTLINES:
> Argentina: +5402234930430
> Australia: 131114
> Austria: 017133374
> Belgium: 106
> Bosnia & Herzegovina: 080 05 03 05
> Botswana: 3911270
> Brazil: 212339191
> Canada: 5147234000 (Montreal); 18662773553 (outside Montreal)
> Croatia: 014833888
> Denmark: +4570201201
> Egypt: 7621602
> Finland: 010 195 202
> France: 0145394000
> Germany: 08001810771
> Holland: 09000767
> Hong Kong: +852 2382 0000
> 
> 
> Hungary: 116123
> India: 8888817666
> Ireland: +4408457909090
> Italy: 800860022
> Japan: +810352869090
> Mexico: 5255102550
> New Zealand: 045861048
> Norway: +4781533300
> Philippines: 028969191
> Poland: 5270000
> Russia: 0078202577
> Spain: 914590050
> South Africa: 0514445691
> Sweden: 46317112400
> Switzerland: 143
> United Kingdom: 08457909090
> USA: 18002738255



Thank you for providing this list of contact numbers.
Please if you know someone who is struggling, reach out to them & provide that level of support & compassion.
It will make such a difference. No one should struggle & no one should feel there is a stigma attached to not feeling yourself
Help is available . The death of Kate Spade has touched our hearts in many ways & by helping
someone we honor the memory of Kate Spade.
Bless those who provide the help & bless those that are seeking help that will change their lives for the
better.


----------



## MyAwesomeFinds

gelbergirl said:


> I do not think it would have been odd for such a well known person to privately check into a treatment place for mental health or alcoholism (that was a problem too?) why not, Surely she had health insurance or private money to pay , many places will help with privacy.


definitely not odd, it would have been common even!


----------



## Hatfield1313

I tend to read too much negatively into what people say or how they say it and I didn't take her "ask Daddy" comment as placing blame at all. I think it was very much ask daddy, he'll confirm how much I love you and explain what I was dealing with so you can understand. And I think if anything was true about her needing help and not getting it due to being worried it would tarnish her brand, I get it. While we "in the know" know that she doesn't own Kate Spade anymore, the majority of people don't, so I could see where and why she would be worried, but I think she would have found a massive amount of support over judgement.

Regardless this is a devastating loss. I texted my mom yesterday that Kate Spade died and my mom's response was "not funny"... She thought I was joking until it came on the news after I said no, really, she's gone. Just heartbreaking.


----------



## CoachCruiser

sdkitty said:


> I doubt we've heard the last from the sister.  I expect to see her on the morning talk shows soon.  This is her opportunity to get the attention.


It's awful, but I agree. If she were this close to her sister, I should think she would need privacy, not an opportunity to "tell all."


----------



## lorihmatthews

I have a real problem with the sister's email to the media not because of what she said, but because she revealed in the email that she was so distressed that her husband (a doctor) had prescribed a sedative for her. So who even knows what state of mind she was in when she wrote it. Because of that admission I don't even think the media should have had the right to publish it. I'd consider it being under the influence.


----------



## daisychainz

Official statement from Andy Spade

"Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years. My daughter and I are devastated by her loss, and can’t even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already.

Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.

For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other. Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority. We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.

This is the truth. Anything else that is out there right now is false. She was actively seeking help for depression and anxiety over the last 5 years, seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety. There was no substance or alcohol abuse. There were no business problems. We loved creating our businesses together. We were co-parenting our beautiful daughter. I have yet to see any note left behind and am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media.

My main concern is Bea and protecting her privacy as she deals with the unimaginable grief of losing her mother. Kate loved Bea so very much."


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## altigirl88

Although she has long been away from KSNY, the line still shows her joyful inspiration. It's sad she wasn't having that same joy. I'm glad she was here and shared this fun aesthetic w/us. I know one of the reasons I buy her items is when I want something playful and fun,I can usually find it from KS.


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## altigirl88

I don't think 


nope! said:


> https://people.com/style/kate-spade...uicide-not-unexpected-suffered-mental-illnes/
> 
> Kate Spade‘s family are at odds after the late designer’s death on Tuesday at age 55.
> 
> Spade’s older sister Reta Brosnahan Saffo, 57, made statements to multiple outlets on Tuesday night saying she believes her sister suffered from a mental illness for a number of years and that Spade’s suicide “was not unexpected by me.”
> 
> However, a source close to the family claims Brosnahan Saffo has long been estranged from her designer sister, whom the source says was as a “kind, generous, funny, warm and extremely private person.”
> 
> “The family is disgusted and saddened that at this time of great sorrow, Kate’s sister who has been estranged from the entire family for more than 10 years would choose to surface with unsubstantiated comments,” the source said to PEOPLE. “Her statements paint a picture of someone who didn’t know her at all.”
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo, however, reportedly told her local paper _The Kansas City Star_ via email that she and Spade spoke on the phone for “6 to 7 hours” on end prior to Spade’s death.
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo emailed that her sister had suffered “three to four years of mental illness” and “chickened out” from multiple attempts to seek treatment.
> 
> “I will say [Kate’s suicide] was not unexpected by me,” Brosnahan Saffo wrote in her exchange with _The Star_, to which she admitted taking a sedative before speaking with her hometown newspaper. “Sometimes you simply cannot SAVE people from themselves!”
> 
> According to Brosnahan Saffo, her late sibling was “concerned how hospitalization might harm the image of the happy-go-lucky Kate Spade brand,” and had “eventually became full-on manic depressive” due to the “stress and pressure” of her empire.
> 
> Manic depression is a term once used to discribe bipolar disorder.
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo reached out to her local paper initially to correct the way it had written Spade’s childhood name, Katy. She was asked to speak about her sister with the publication via phone but said, as she was sedated, email was best. It’s unclear what steps the paper took to confirm Saffo’s identity. However, she has previously appeared in _The Star._
> 
> In the email, Brosnahan Saffo wrote she had tried to get her sister to seek treatment for her mental illness.
> 
> “[Kate] was all set to go — but then chickened out by morning,” Brosnahan Saffo said, recalling one instance of trying to take the beloved handbag creator to the “same place Catherine Zeta-Jones went for her successful bipolar treatment program.”
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo added, “I’d come so VERY close to getting her to go in for treatment. … We’d get sooo close to packing her bags, but — in the end, the ‘image’ of her brand (happy-go-lucky Kate Spade) was more important for her to keep up. She was definitely worried about what people would say if they found out.”
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo suggested her sister had a “plan [to take her own life] already set in motion” as Spade was “fixated” when news broke of Robin Williams death in August 2014.
> 
> “We were freaked out/saddened but she kept watching it and watching it over and over. I think the plan was already in motion even as far back as then,” said Safo, who detailed how her sister was at a hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico when she saw the television news report of Williams’ death which was ruled a suicide by asphyxiation.
> 
> Brosnahan Saffo also shared one of the final conversations she said she had with her sister.
> 
> “One of the last things she said to me was, ‘Reta, I know you hate funerals and don’t attend them, but for me would you PLEASE come to MINE, at least. Please!’ I know she perhaps had a plan, but she insisted she did not,” she recalled.
> 
> Saffo also released a statement to CBS New York and _Daily Mail_ that read: “My little sister Katy was a precious, precious little person. Genuine in almost every way. She was surrounded by YES people, for far too long, therefore she did not receive the proper care for what I believe to be (and tried numerous times to get help for) Bipolar disorder… stemming from her immense celebrity. She never expected it — nor was she properly prepared for it. Unfortunately, untreated, it finally took its toll on her.”
> 
> Police confirmed Spade was found hanging from a red scarf Tuesday morning in her bedroom at her and Andy’s Park Avenue home in Manhattan. The scarf had reportedly been tied to her door. Her husband Andy was in the apartment at the time of his wife’s death while their 13-year-old daughter Frances Beatrix was at school, as reported by the Associated Press.
> 
> A housekeeper discovered her, according to a police source, and she left a suicide note addressed to their only child Frances.
> 
> _If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
> _


I don't think I'd tell people someone talked to me for 6 or 7 hours and then killed themselves...


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## Love Of My Life

daisychainz said:


> Official statement from Andy Spade
> 
> "Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years. My daughter and I are devastated by her loss, and can’t even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already.
> 
> Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.
> 
> For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other. Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority. We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.
> 
> This is the truth. Anything else that is out there right now is false. She was actively seeking help for depression and anxiety over the last 5 years, seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety. There was no substance or alcohol abuse. There were no business problems. We loved creating our businesses together. We were co-parenting our beautiful daughter. I have yet to see any note left behind and am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media.
> 
> My main concern is Bea and protecting her privacy as she deals with the unimaginable grief of losing her mother. Kate loved Bea so very much."



I believe this statement wholeheartedly & Andy addressed all the issues & no need
 for speculation any longer & will respect their need for privacy
RIP Kate ...you were one of a kind ...


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## sdkitty

hotshot said:


> I believe this statement wholeheartedly & Andy addressed all the issues & no need
> for speculation any longer & will respect their need for privacyI
> Seems to me the creepy sister caused him to have to make this statement.  Set the record straight.  Good for him


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## bag-mania

altigirl88 said:


> I don't think I'd tell people someone talked to me for 6 or 7 hours and then killed themselves...



If her statement about the long conversations is true. Who knows with Ms. Jealous attention-seeking older sister.


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## mdcx

daisychainz said:


> Official statement from Andy Spade
> 
> "Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known and my best friend for 35 years. My daughter and I are devastated by her loss, and can’t even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already.
> 
> Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.
> 
> For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other. Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day. We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority. We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.
> 
> This is the truth. Anything else that is out there right now is false. She was actively seeking help for depression and anxiety over the last 5 years, seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for both depression and anxiety. There was no substance or alcohol abuse. There were no business problems. We loved creating our businesses together. We were co-parenting our beautiful daughter. I have yet to see any note left behind and am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media.
> 
> My main concern is Bea and protecting her privacy as she deals with the unimaginable grief of losing her mother. Kate loved Bea so very much."



This clarifies so many things and it is so devastating to read that she was undergoing treatment at the time she died and on medication. I wonder if something went wrong with her medication regime. Some people think Prozac can bring on an impulse to suicide in certain patients ( not saying this what she was on).

His comment that she sounded happy the night before is not a shock - often people who are planning to take their lives "wrap up all the loose ends", say goodbye to people (without them realising) and get into a state of almost euphoria because they know what they are about to do will end their suffering.
She obviously planned it for after her daughter went to school in the morning.


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## mdcx

daisychainz said:


> We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break.



This is so sad.


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## smallfry

bag-mania said:


> I’m not sure about that sister. She contacted the media and spilled an awful lot of personal information about Kate unnecessarily. That’s not something a loving family member would do. I’m getting kind of a jealous/bitter vibe from her, reminds me a bit of Meghan Markel‘s half-sister.


Just what I was thinking when I read the article.  Also, in the last paragraph she says, "She was a dear little person."  I don't know, maybe that's the way she speaks, but "dear little person" makes me feel like she's minimizing what Kate Spade was.


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## Love Of My Life

smallfry said:


> Just what I was thinking when I read the article.  Also, in the last paragraph she says, "She was a dear little person."  I don't know, maybe that's the way she speaks, but "dear little person" makes me feel like she's minimizing what Kate Spade was.



Jealousy probably abounds & to have a sister like this is no asset. She is what I would call a b**ch
And to not respect the family is out of bounds by making a statement when you have been estranged for 10 years has no credibility
& says a lot more about herself that she realizes..


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## bag-mania

smallfry said:


> Just what I was thinking when I read the article.  Also, in the last paragraph she says, "She was a dear little person."  I don't know, maybe that's the way she speaks, but "dear little person" makes me feel like she's minimizing what Kate Spade was.



The sister revealed more about herself with those patronizing remarks than she knows. Right there I can tell she's always felt superior to her younger sister and she wants to make sure everyone knows it now. She appears to be a spiteful, petty woman trying hard to portray herself as the compassionate, sane one.


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## boxermom

I feel compelled to correct the sister—stress doesn’t lead to bipolar disorder. It’s a chemical imbalance. I’ve known women who had it and self-medicated with alcohol. One od’d and another hanged herself. It’s just tragic every time I hear about something like this.

I hope Kate is at peace. Her family will need lots of help and compassion.


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## bag-mania

*Andy Spade on Kate Spade’s Death: ‘There Was No Indication and No Warning’*

The husband of the designer Kate Spade, who died of what police characterized as suicide, said on Wednesday that she had suffered from severe depression and acknowledged that they had been living apart for the last 10 months.

The husband, Andy Spade, said there were no plans to divorce. Mr. Spade was speaking publicly for the first time since her death was announced on Tuesday.

Kate Spade, with her husband and business partner, built an idea about a handbag into what became a billion dollar brand, marked by an optimism that resonated deeply with many women for almost three decades.

Mr. Spade said that though his wife had suffered from anxiety at points during their relationship and marriage, her serious bouts of depression only began about six years ago, at the age of 49.

“Kate suffered from depression and anxiety for many years. She was actively seeking help and working closely with her doctors to treat her disease, one that takes far too many lives. We were in touch with her the night before and she sounded happy. There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling,” he said.

Mr. and Ms. Spade were married 24 years ago and started the brand Kate Spade together in 1993 and the brand Frances Valentine in 2016. According to Mr. Spade, they maintained different apartments a few blocks from each other, continued to take vacations together, and their daughter, Frances Beatrix, split her time between them.

She was with her father the night of her mother’s death.

He also said neither he nor anyone else in the family had been shown the note left by Ms. Spade, but had read about it in media accounts.

“I am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media,” said Mr. Spade.

According to the police, the note addressed the couple’s daughter, expressing that she should not feel at fault.

Mr. Spade rebutted reports that it was Mr. Spade’s desire to end his marriage that caused his wife’s depression. “We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce. We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break,” he said.

Ms. Spade’s older sister, Reta Saffo, told the Kansas City Star that Ms. Spade’s suicide was “not unexpected” and that her sister had refused to get treatment for her depression because of fear it might damage her brand.

However, Ms. Spade’s older brother, Earl Brosnahan, said Ms. Saffo had been estranged from the rest of the family for more than 10 years, to the extent that she had not attended their mother’s funeral in 2010. (Ms. Saffo did not respond to messages left at her home number.) Though he acknowledged Ms. Spade had been in sporadic contact with Ms. Saffo in recent years — the only one of the six siblings to speak to Ms. Saffo — he said he was taken aback that Ms. Saffo “should surface now with very definitive statements that I think are grossly inaccurate” and attributed the contact between them to Ms. Spade’s personality.

“It was Katy’s way to be accessible and available to everyone,” he said.

Both Mr. Brosnahan and Elyce Arons — Ms. Arons became close friends with Ms. Spade as an 18-year-old at the University of Kansas and later became her business partner in both Kate Spade and Frances Valentine — said they had been aware of Ms. Spade’s depression and the separation in her marriage.

Mr. Brosnahan said he and Ms. Spade had discussed “her sadness, which is what we liked to call it.” He said he became aware of it about 18 months ago. Though he said he and his sister often spoke several times a day, it sometimes became difficult to get her on the phone. He said he had dinner with her a week before her death, and “she was still talking very much about the future and collaborating with Andy on projects for Frances Valentine.”

Mr. Brosnahan said they had not discussed the subject of divorce, though he did believe some of her sadness derived from having grown apart from her husband. Ms. Arons, who worked with both Mr. and Ms. Spade during the period they were separating, said they continued to work well together. “It was a time in the marriage when it was right for them to be apart,” she said. “They both agreed to it. They loved each other very much.”

“Katy was very happy most of the time, the funniest person in the world, and sometimes she would get really sad,” Ms. Arons continued. She said she watched her friend’s condition develop “slowly, over time. We would talk a lot about it, and end up laughing,” she said.

“She really felt she could power through it on her own,” she said. Sometimes the subject came up in the context of news of a celebrity suicide and, Ms. Arons said, “she’d say to me, ‘I would never do that. I would never do that. I would never do that,’ and I believed her.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/style/kate-spade-husband-andy-spade.html


----------



## allanrvj

Brené Brown on Kate Spade's death:

*Everyone Has A Story*

Like many of you, I am a big Kate Spade fan. My first bag was a giraffe-print “Sam bag” – it took me six months to save enough money to buy it.  I carried it every single day for two years. I still wear her jewelry, use her stationary, and love her clothes.

The news of her death was a cruel reminder about the realities of depression and anxiety, and about the dangerous stories that we make up about those “successful” people who don’t know anything about pain and never need help. I say dangerous because they’re never true.

Everyone has a story or a struggle that will break your heart. And, if we’re really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring us to our knees.

You would think the universal nature of struggle would make it easier for all of us to ask for help, but in a culture of scarcity and perfectionism, there can still be so much shame around reaching out, especially if we’re not raised to understand the irreducible nature of human need.

We can encourage our children to ask for help; however, if they don’t see us reaching out for support and modeling that behavior, they will instead attach value to never needing help.

We also send strong messages to the people around us, including our children, friends, and employees, when they ask for help, and in return, we treat them differently — as if they are now less reliable, competent, or productive.

And, when we respond to a tragedy like this one with unfounded comments and criticism about how someone who most of us didn’t know at all managed her struggle, her meds, her work, her family – whatever the focus – we help create that culture where it feels like help-seeking just opens us up to more pain and judgment.

To know pain is human. To need is human. And, no amount of money, influence, resources, or sheer determination will change our physical, emotional, and spiritual dependence on others.

Many of us are willing to extend a helping hand, but we’re very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves. It’s as if we’ve divided the world into “those who offer help” and “those who need help.” The truth is that we are both.  Need is the most beautiful compact between humans.

https://brenebrown.com/blog/2018/06/07/everyone-has-a-story/


----------



## Megs

soramillay said:


> Extremely sad news. I hope we can have a In Memoriam piece written for on Purseblog commemorating her life and her iconic designs. @Megs, would you do the honour?



We did  https://www.purseblog.com/news/in-memoriam-kate-spade-1962-2018/


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## daisychainz

I just read last night that her father died the day before her funeral. They are saying general bad health and her passing was too much for him.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kate-spade-apos-dad-dies-204455778.html


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## Purseloco

God Bless you Kate! I'm still thinking about her.


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## ADreamDeferred

lorihmatthews said:


> Amazing how so many women can relate with their first KS bag and how it affected them. I had only read about her designs in magazines until I saw them first hand at Saks in San Francisco many years ago. There was an entire section of the store devoted to her new handbag line. Her bags were so different than more well established brands -- unique, whimsical, and fun. I remember walking through the displays and picking up every single bag. It was an experience different than with other brands, which is probably why the memory has stuck with me for years.



I agree. My first KS bag was an exciting experience! I had "moved on" from Coach and was seeking something different.. I got some Christmas money and wanted to purchase a Longchamp Le Pliage - something ubiquitous in college but was unattainable for me at that time. I went to Nordstrom and knew exactly which one I wanted. I was so excited. I also looked into the clearance bin, and lo and behold... a bright yellow nylon KS crossbody for only $40! I asked the SA if the price was correct, and she said yes. Couldn't believe my luck. That was a fun time. Then in 2016 I purchased a nice Wellesley Neda wallet on the KS site.. 25% off too! It has really held up well.


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## muggles

Something to smile about!


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## muggles

Awesome!


----------

