Kate Spade's husband Andy has released a touching statement following the death of the well-known fashion designer. The 55-year-old entrepreneur, who was married to Kate for 24 years, revealed that the pair had been living apart for almost a year before her untimely death. "For the past 10 months we had been living separately, but within a few blocks of each other," he said in a statement to People.
Kate and Andy Spade were married for 24 years
The couple, who married in 1994, were parents to teenage daughter Frances Beatrix. "Bea was living with both of us and we saw each other or spoke every day," he added. "We ate many meals together as a family and continued to vacation together as a family. Our daughter was our priority." Andy reiterated the fact they were not planning on getting a divorce. "We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce," he continued. "We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how. We were together for 35 years. We loved each other very much and simply needed a break."
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The American fashion designer reportedly took her own life and was found at her Park Avenue, New York home on Tuesday morning. Kate was best known for co-founding Kate Spade Handbags in the nineties and for designing block colour, feminine bags. She sold her company in 2007 and took time off to raise her young child. In 2016, she returned to work and launched a new brand called Frances Valentine – named after her daughter. The Kate Spade brand opened its first boutique in Manhattan; there are now 140 retail shops and outlet stores across American and 175 shops internationally.