Fashion designer Kate Spade found dead

American fashion designer Kate Spade has been found dead at the age of 55.

The designer was best known for the eponymous handbag brand she founded with her husband, Andy Spade, in 1993.

Law enforcement officials said she was found dead at her apartment in New york yesterday following an apparent suicide.

Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US president Bill Clinton, tweeted: “My grandmother gave me my first Kate Spade bag when I was in college. I still have it.

“Holding Kate’s family, friends and loved ones in my heart.”

Born Katherine Noel Brosnahan, Spade gained a degree in journalism from Arizona State University in 1985 before moving to New York to join Mademoiselle magazine as a fashion editor the following year.

She launched her career as a handbag designer and opened her first store in 1996.

The brand has since become a household name with stores around the world.