Kate Spade laughed and joked alongside her husband Andy about building their fashion empire and raising their teen daughter in one of her final interviews before she committed suicide.
The 55-year-old fashion designer hanged herself with a scarf in the bedroom of her New York apartment on Tuesday.
Her husband and business partner Andy Spade was in the house at the time but their 13-year-old daughter Frances was at school. She had left a note telling their daughter it was not her fault.
Kate rose to fame with the namesake fashion line she started in 1993 with her husband before they sold the company in 2006 so she could focus on raising their daughter Frances.
Kate Spade laughed and joked alongside her husband Andy about building their fashion empire and raising their teen daughter in one of her final interviews in New York last year
She had just recently reentered the fashion world with the launch of Frances Valentine, a line of luxury handbags and shoes.
In what was to become one of her final interviews, Kate and Andy appeared on the AOL Build Series in April last year as they spoke about creating their latest project.
The couple, who were together 30 years, laughed as they spoke of their working dynamic and joked about who put in more work.
They also spoke lightheartedly about raising their now 13-year-old daughter.
‘We sold Kate Spade and I took off a good nine years off to raise my daughter… I absolutely adored every moment of it,’ Kate said.
‘Then I realized she was becoming 12 and really didn’t want me around so much so I thought I’d get back into the business.’
During the interview, the popular designer spoke of how she ‘absolutely adored’ taking the time off to raise her daughter and joked that the teen now wasn’t interested in fashion
In what was to become one of her final interviews, Kate and Andy appeared on the AOL Build Series in April last year as they spoke about creating their latest brand Frances Valentine
Andy added: ‘I always knew the sign would be when my daughter started shutting the door or talking back… it’s a good time to start a business.’
The popular designer also quipped about how her daughter wasn’t interested in fashion like her parents.
‘Because I am, she’s not. If I say I like that, she says I don’t,’ Kate joked, before adding that her daughter had her own fashion style.
Throughout the interview, Kate also spoke lovingly of fashion and color.
‘I find color optimist and enthusiastic. I do love color. I bought this orange Prada coat and everyone looked at me like ‘Are you joking, who would ever wear that’ and I go ‘I will’… and when I wear it everyone says I love it,’ she said.
The mother-of-one went on to say she was simply inspired by people: ‘I look at the street and I’m not sure I reflect the street as much as I absorb it and interpret it.’
Asked if there was any advice she wished she’d been given when first starting out, Kate said: ‘I wish I worried less. I think I worried throughout the company and still do.’
If you or anyone you know needs to talk, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The couple, who were together 30 years, laughed as they spoke of their working dynamic and joked about who put in more work