US designer Kate Spade found dead

NEW YORK (AFP) – Designer Kate Spade, one of the biggest names in American fashion known especially for her sleek handbags, was found dead Tuesday in her New York apartment. She was 55.

A police spokeswoman said Spade had committed suicide, but told AFP the exact circumstances of her death were not yet clear.

A source close to the investigation said she had left a note in her Park Avenue apartment.

Spade’s relatives said in a statement that they were “devastated by today’s tragedy” and would “miss her terribly,” asking for privacy. She is survived by her husband and teenage daughter.

Tributes to Spade poured in from celebrities, the fashion world and everyday women who admired her quintessentially American style, which had a sophisticated yet playful vibe.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America hailed Spade’s work.

“She was a great talent who had an immeasurable im- pact on American fashion and the way the world viewed American accessories,” said a statement from CFDA board chairman Diane von Furstenberg and CEO Steven Kolb.

Spade – a Missouri native who first worked as a journalist, including a stint as accessories editor at Mademoiselle magazine – launched her eponymous fashion label in 1993 with her husband Andy and the help of outside investors.

Her cheerful use of bright colors and prints proved a hit with career women.

The brand, initially sold in several New York stores, opened its flagship in the city’s Soho neighborhood in 1996.