Kate Spade

Kate Valentine (born Katherine Noel Brosnahan; December 24, 1962 – June 5, 2018), known professionally as Kate Spade,^[1][2] was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. She was the namesake and former co-owner of the designer brand Kate Spade New York. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Spade was the sister-in-law of David Spade.

Kate Spade
Born	Katherine Noel Brosnahan (1962-12-24)December 24, 1962 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Died	June 5, 2018(2018-06-05) (aged 55) New York City, U.S.
Cause of death	Suicide by hanging
Resting place	Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, U.S.
Other names	Kate Valentine
Education	University of Kansas Arizona State University
Occupation(s)	Fashion designer, businesswoman
Years active	1985–2018
Known for	Kate Spade New York Frances Valentine
Spouse	Andy Spade ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	1
Relatives	Rachel Brosnahan (niece) David Spade (brother-in-law)

Kate and Andy Spade founded Kate Spade New York in 1993. She sold the company to Neiman Marcus Group in 1999 and the rest of the company in 2006.^[3]

In 2016, she and her partners launched a new fashion brand called Frances Valentine.^[4]

Death

On June 5, 2018, Spade committed suicide by hanging herself at her Manhattan apartment.^[5][6] She was 55 years old.^[7] There was a suicide note.