Who - 25.06.2018

TRIBUTE

“There was no indication and no warning that

she would do this. It was a complete shock and

it clearly wasn’t her.”

The incongruity between the successful

designer-mum who, with her colourfully

whimsical aesthetic, seemed to embody

sunshine itself—and the darkness of her death

made no sense. Shocked admirers from

Chelsea Clinton (see left) to Whoopi Goldberg

posted articles on social media about the

alarming rise in America’s suicide rates and

shared memories of their first Kate Spade

handbag. “Young women saved up for it,” said

Goldberg. “It was like you were Mary Tyler

Moore; you felt like you could do anything if

you had this bag.”

Starting in 1993 with a black nylon tote—

with a small identifiable label on the outside—

Kate was a two-time Council of Fashion

Designers of America award-winner. “Her

collection was one of the most popular and

brilliant,” says former CFDA executive

director Fern Mallis. “She was as adorable as

her accessories were. She and Andy were very

much in the front lane of the fashion universe.”

They were at home in celebrity circles, too.

Andy’s brother is the comic actor David Spade;

Kate’s niece is Rachel Brosnahan, the Golden-

Globe–winning star of Amazon Prime Video’s

The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. That Kate—who

two years ago had opened a new chapter with a

new line called Frances Valentine—could end

her life was unthinkable even to those who

were aware of her private struggles. “We knew

Kate had her problems and demons,” one

friend tells WHO. “But no-one would have

ever expected her to do this.”

Katy Brosnahan grew up in Kansas City,

one of five sisters and a brother in the Irish-

Catholic brood of Frank, who owned a

construction company, and June, a former

flight attendant who died in 2010. Kate

FROM LEFT: SPLASH NEWS; GETTY IMAGES (5)

Kate (at her Boston store

in 1999) sold a 56 per cent

stake in the company for

$US33.6 million.

Mary-Kate and

Ashley Olsen

carried Kate’s

“It” bag.

“I am heartbroken about the news of Kate Spade.

I have worn her clothes many, many times. They

were colourful, bold, cheerful and encouraged

women to find the twinkly person inside them.

You couldn’t walk into her boutiques and not

smile. Rest In Peace, Kate.”

—Mindy Kaling

“Kate Spade was more than a designer. She had

a quirky visual language that captivated Bat

Mitzvah girls and artists alike. She was also a

staple of NYC ...Thank you, Kate, from one of the

millions you made feel beautiful.”

—Lena Dunham

“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.”

—Chelsea Clinton

Mourning

an icon

26 l Who