(NBC) -- Kate Spade, the world-renowned fashion designer whose namesake brand is synonymous with cheerful luxury, was found dead in her New York City apartment on Tuesday morning, a senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the matter said. She was 55.
Her death is being investigated as an apparent suicide, four senior law enforcement officials said. It appeared she hanged herself with a scarf, sources told NBC New York.
Spade launched a line of chic handbags in the early 1990s that became a global sensation, turning her company, Kate Spade New York, into a retail powerhouse with over 140 shops and outlet stores across the United States.
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