Kate Spade, a hugely successful handbag and fashion designer, has apparently committed suicide, leaving behind a husband and teenage daughter. Her sister said she probably suffered from bi-polar disorder which went untreated since she feared it would damage her happy-face brand. Her marriage appeared to have been in difficulties but she had evidently always had a tendency to depression and mood swings, exacerbated by her astonishing success.
Born 24 December 1962 in Kansas City, she was a Sun Capricorn trine Uranus (Pluto) in Virgo and sextile Jupiter in Pisces. Her Sagittarius Moon almost certainly sat on the focal point of a Mutable T Square to Jupiter opposition Uranus Pluto.
A Capricorn Sun is ambitious, financially and in terms of social status, keen to keep up appearances. Uranus is innovative and Uranus Pluto especially has a talent for pushing back boundaries and being on the leading edge. A focal point Moon is well designed to sense public taste. But such a Moon is also super-sensitive, emotionally highly-charged and tends to avoid confronting difficulties where feelings are concerned.
Her Mars in Leo squared onto Venus (Neptune) in Scorpio, so her emotional reactions would be intense. Along with passionate enthusiasm would go a difficulty in understanding the needs and responses of those in relationships with her.
Her chart had been labouring under heavy pressures in recent years with jolting, discouraging and mentally pressured Solar Arcs – around the time Robin Williams died, which had evidently obsessed her. Tr Uranus was opposition her Sun/Mars midpoint this year, so she would be more volatile than usual. On top of all that her Secondary Progressed Mars was opposing her Saturn which would exacerbate her unhappiness. So it has been building for some time.
What a tragedy for her daughter; and for her in not feeling able to seek professional help.
Well hate to make a blanket statement, but what a very Capricornian thing to do, to not get treatment. I wish she had for the sake of her daughter.
From a private email,
“In 1994, I sat nervously in the office of a legendary New York ad agency. The creative director, Andy, told me that he’d soon be leaving the agency to help his wife launch her business.
“We’re making purses and handbags in our apartment, and then we’ll sell them.”
Privately, I couldn’t imagine how purses could possibly be cooler than advertising, but I said, “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for them. What’s the brand name?”
He smiled, and said, “Kate Spade.”
Goodbye, dear Kate. You showed a generation of women how to express ourselves fully, without frill or frump, in the brightest polka dots imaginable.
The world will be a khaki place without you. “
I also want to add that what makes me really sad/mad is that in 2018, we still seem not to be able to talk about Bipolar Disorder openly. This would, literally, save lifes. Having experienced this close by, I was hundred per cent certain Kenya had a fullblown manic episode, ending to a lifethreatening “down”, when he was hospitalized 18 months ago. I was told “this was not it” by people who’ve seen maybe the depression driven form of the disorder, to which people tend to seek help. I think it’s incredibly important for us to create a culture where we talk about this much more. People whose condition tends towards hypomania and mania will go full “Kenya Superpower” mode from time to time. They’ll feel they achieve things, especially when hypomanic. Mania stage will be very trying for people around. But the down will be horrible, and they need good people around them at that time. So, this is absolutely something people need to know about.
This is so sad. Her “moodswings” were confirmed bipolar disorder today. This could be significant on chart interpretation. I’d also say the same goes to Kenya West – apparently, he “came out” as bipolar on an event last weekend. This hardly made headlines, but I think he has a similarly strong chart with somewhat sensitive Moon.