Fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead in her Park Avenue apartment.

The 55-year-old’s death is being investigated as an apparent suicide by New York police. She was found by her housekeeper at 10.20am local time (3.20pm BST) on Tuesday, the BBC reports.

Kate Spade, whose real name was Katherine Brosnahan, was an internationally renowned designer. She co-founded Kate Spade Handbags in 1993, and went on to design clothes, shoes and jewellery, as well as her popular range of accessories. Her fun and colourful designs quickly became her trademark, along with a symbol of the spades playing card that she used as her brand’s logo. There are now hundreds of Kate Spade stores across the world.

The fashion icon sold her namesake company in 2007. The brand was then sold to Coach last year, in a deal valued at $2.4billion.

Remembering the designer, Stylist’s executive fashion director, Kitty McGee, says, “Kate Spade was a brilliant designer and entrepreneur whose iconic Upper East Side aesthetic transcended seasons.”

Stylist magazine’s thoughts are with Kate Spade’s family and friends.

If you need to talk to someone about your mental health, feel triggered by the press around Kate Spade’s death or want to reach out, please consider contacting one of the UK’s mental health organisations. You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Republic of Ireland, or visit Samaritans.org. You can contact Sane on 003 304 7000 or sane.org.uk

Image: Getty

Kate Spade, fashion designer, found dead in New York