Celebrities Pay Tribute To Fashion Icon Kate Spade

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Celebrities and fashion industry icons took to social media to mourn and pay tribute to fashion designer Kate Spade, who was found dead in her Upper East Side apartment Tuesday.

Among the scores of tributes one theme was consistent: Getting one's first Kate Spade bag was a special moment. The designer was also remembered for being a fashion pioneer who brought styles that were lively, colorful and joyous into the world.

Actress Olivia Munn and former first daughter Chelsea Clinton both reflected on the first time they were given a Kate Spade bag. Munn said that she "treasured it and was obsessed with keeping the little white Kate Spade label clean," and Clinton said she still has the bag her grandmother gave her in college.

Spade's designs were also remembered for their ability to speak to women of all backgrounds and personalities. Actress Mindy Kaling said "I have worn her clothes many, many times. They were colorful, bold, cheerful, and encouraged women to find the twinkly person inside them. You couldn’t walk into her boutiques and not smile," in a statement posted to social media.

Fellow designers such as Kenneth Cole called Spade a "true visionary" who left a mark on the fashion industry. The Council of Fashion Designers of America, of which Spade was a member, said she had an "immeasurable impact on American fashion and the way the world viewed American accessories."

Spade's niece, actress Rachel Brosnahan, posted a touching tribute to Spade on Wednesday. The actress shared a video of Spade dancing with her husband Andy Spade and said "Knowing Katy, this is how she would want to be remembered."

The 55-year-old designer's body was found in the bedroom of her apartment at 850 Park Ave. by a housekeeper, police said. A suicide note, a witness account and the "physical state of the apartment" led investigators to believe Spade's death was "a tragic case of apparent suicide," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea.

Born Katherine Noel Brosnahan, Spade launched her eponymous handbag company with Andy Spade in New York City in 1993 after a stint as the fashion editor for the now-shuttered magazine Mademoiselle. She expanded the company to an international fashion brand that is sold in retail stores worldwide.

The iconic fashion designer, battled mental illness for years before her apparent suicide Tuesday, according to her sister. In an email to the Kansas City Star, Spade's sister Reta Saffo said Spade's death at age 55 was "not unexpected" after her family's unsuccessful attempts to get her treatment.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images News