AP
New York fashion designer Kate Spade has been found dead in her apartment on Tuesday morning, according to police.
She was found by housekeeping staff inside her Park Avenue apartment at, the officials said.
They said she left a note at the scene.
The 55-year-old created a line of sleek handbags in the early 1990s that were a big hit.
Her company, Kate Spade New York, has more than 140 retail shops and outlet stores across the US and more than 175 shops internationally.
In addition to her husband, Spade is survived by a daughter, born in 2005.