STEPHANIE GOSK IS OUTSIDE OF THE FLAGSHIP KATE SPADE STORE HERE
IN NEW YORK CITY.
STEPH, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> Reporter: A SMALL MEMORIAL HAS STARTED TO GROW OUTSIDE OF
THIS STORE IN MANHATTAN.
KATE SPADE NO LONGER HAD A
FINANCIAL STAKE IN HER BRAND.
BUT THE COMPANY SAYS SHE WAS THE
HEART AND SOUL OF THIS LIFESTYLE
LINE.
HER SISTER, AS YOU SAY, SHARING THE PERSONAL AND PAINFUL DETAILS
ABOUT HER LIFE, SAYING SHE
STRUGGLED WITH DEBILITATING MENTAL ILLNESS.DEBILITATING
MENTAL ILLNESS.
AND IN RECENT YEARS, HAD TURNED
TO ALCOHOL TO DEAL WITH THE
PAIN. THIS MORNING, KATE SPADES
GRIEVING SISTER SAYS THE
DESIGNERS APPARENT SUICIDE WAS
NOT UNEXPECTED TO HER. RITA SAFFO E-MAILING "THE KANSAS
CITY STAR" OVERNIGHT.
SOMETIMES YOU SIMPLY CANNOT SAVE
PEOPLE FROM THEMSELVES.
ONE OF THE LAST THINGS SHE SAID
TO ME WAS, RITA, I KNOW YOU HATE
FUNERALS AND DONT ATTEND THEM,
BUT FOR ME WOULD YOU PLEASE COME TO MIND?ME WOULD YOU PLEASE COME
TO MIND?
AT LEAST, PLEASE.
I KNOW SHE HAD A PLAN BUT SHE INSISTED SHE DID NOT. BUT SHE
INSISTED SHE DID NOT. SAFFO SAYS SPADE WAS
SELF-MEDICATESELF-MED
SELF-MEDICAIDING WITH ALCOHOL
AND TRIED TO GET HER INTO REHAB. HER SISTER TELLING "THE DAILYAB.
HER SISTER TELLING "THE DAILY MAIL" THAT SPADE WAS OBSESSED
WITH ROBIN WILLIAMS SUICIDE IN
2014, SAYING SHE WAS GLUED TO
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE.
SHE KEPT WATCHING IT AND
WATCHING IT OVER AND OVER.
I THINK THE PLAN WAS ALREADY IN
MOTION, EVEN AS FAR BACK AS
THEN.
>> IT APPEARS AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO BE A TRAGIC CASE OF IN
TIME TO BE A TRAGIC CASE OF APPARENT SUICIDE.
APPARENT SUICIDE. BUT IT IS EARLY IN THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION.
THERE WAS A SUICIDE NOTE LEFT AT THE SCENE.A SUICIDE NOTE LEFT AT
THE SCENE.
>> Reporter: THIS MORNING, A
SINGLE QUESTION SURROUNDS
SPADES APPARENT SUICIDE, WHY? IN AN INTERVIEW WITH NPR LAST
YEAR, SPADE SUGGESTS SHE
SUFFERED WITH ANXIETY.
>> I AM ALSO A VERY NERVOUS
PERSON.
PERSON.
I WORRY A LOT.
>> YOURE LIKE THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS PERSON?THE SLEEPLESS
NIGHTS PERSON? >> YES.
>> YES. AND ALWAYS, THE SKY IS FALLING.
>> Reporter: TOP NAMES IN THE
FASHION WORLD, LIKE ANNA
WINTOUR, REMEMBER SPADE LIKE HER
BAGS, AS UNPRETENTIOUS.
THE "VOGUE" EDITOR IN CHIEF
SAID, KATE DESIGNED WITH GREAT
CHARM AND HUMOR AND BUILT A
GLOBAL EMPIRE THAT REFLECTED WHO
SHE WAS AND HOW SHE LIVED.
BEFORE WE CAME UP WITH
AUTHENTICITY, SHE DEFINED IT.
FOR A GENERATION OF YOUNG WOMEN,
KATE SPADE WAS THE BAG TO HAVE.
CHELSEA CLINTON AND JENNA BUSH,
TWEETING THEY GOT THEIR FIRST
KATE SPADE BAG AS GIFTS IN
COLLEGE.
COLLEGE.
MINDY KALING, HONORING HOW
SPADES CLOTHES MADE HER FEEL. THEY WERE COLORFUL, BOLD AND.
THEY WERE COLORFUL, BOLD AND CHEERFUL.
CHEERFUL.
DAVID SPADE, HER BROTHER-IN-LAW, POSTING A PHOTO TO INSTAGRAM,AW,
POSTING A PHOTO TO INSTAGRAM, WRITING, SHE WAS SO SHARP AND
QUICK ON HER FEET.
SHE COULD MAKE ME LAUGH SO HARD.
I STILL CANT BELIEVE IT.
ITS A ROUGH WORLD OUT THERE,
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
IN 2002, SPADE HAD A POIGNANT
MESSAGE FOR "GLAMOUR" ABOUT HER LEGACY. FOR "GLAMOUR" ABOUT HER
LEGACY.
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER ME
NOT JUST AS A GREAT
BUSINESSWOMAN, BUT A GREAT
FRIEND AND A HECK OF A LOT OF
FUN.
>> STEPHANIE, IF THERES NOT A
GREATER EXAMPLE OF NOT KNOWING
WHAT IS GOING ON IN A MINE OR HEART.S GOING ON IN A MINE OR
HEART.
SHE DID HAVE MENTAL STRUGGLES
ACCORDING TO HER FAMILY.
>> Reporter: YEAH.
THATS RIGHT, SAVANNAH.
NBC NEWS RECEIVED A STATEMENT
FROM HER SISTER, RITA SAFFO, SHE
BELIEVES HER SISTER SUFFERS FROM
BIPOLAR DISORDER, AS A RESULT OF THE IMMENSE PAIN SHE WASNTULT OF
THE IMMENSE PAIN SHE WASNT PREPARED FOR.
PREPARED FOR.
SHE ADDS, DESCRIBING HER SISTER, AS A PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS PERSON,,
AS A PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS PERSON, AND CALLS HER DEATH A TRAGIC AND
SAD ENDING, TO THE LIFE OF A
COLORFUL AND DELIGHTFUL BEING.
ITS A GOOD TIME TO REMIND
PEOPLE THAT IF THEY KNOW SOMEONE
THAT IS SUFFERING FROM
DEPRESSION OR SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, TO CONTACT THE SUICIDE THOUGHTS,
TO CONTACT THE SUICIDE
PREVENTION LIFELINE.
THAT NUMBER IS 1-800-273-TALK.