NEW YORK (CBS) – Fashion designer Kate Spade hung herself and a suicide note was found, according to the NYPD. She was found dead in her apartment Tuesday, law enforcement officials said, the Associated Press reported.
The officials said housekeeping staff found her hanging inside her Park Avenue apartment at about 10:20 a.m. They said she left a note at the scene. The officials were not authorized to divulge details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The officials didn’t know what the note said.
Spade, who was 55, created a line of sleek handbags in the early 1990s that created a smash.
Her company, Kate Spade New York, has over 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the U.S. and more than 175 shops internationally.
Just last year, Coach bought the Kate Spade company in a $2.4 billion deal, CBS New York reported.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
