Kate Spade’s death shows ‘big earrings’ don’t make us happy
SADLY, all the fancy accessories in the world couldn’t save Kate Spade herself — and her death shows we need better understanding of mental illness, writes Susie O’Brien.
Susie O'Brien
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“Big earrings make us happy” reads one entry on the Kate Spade website.
Sadly, all the fancy accessories in the world couldn’t save Kate herself.
The death by suicide of Spade, who was famous for her up-market, colourful handbags and jewellery, has upset her legion of fans.
DESIGNER’S DEATH ‘NOT UNEXPECTED’
I’m one of them. I can’t afford her handbags but have a Kate Spade hot pink and red silk scarf that makes me look a little like a jockey.
Bringing high-viz to office wear, that’s the Spade way.
It’s shocking to think someone so well-known, stylish, successful and wealthy could end it all in this way.
Only those close to Spade said they weren’t surprised she took her own life given that she had suffered debilitating mental illness and was self-medicating with alcohol.
She was also facing relationship issues with her husband Andy, it’s being said.
I keep thinking about her 13-year-old daughter, who must now face life without her much-loved mother.
Three other women I know with daughters around the same age have made the same choice; it’s heartbreaking to think of grown women who see no other way out of their troubles. At least two of them believed their children would be better off without them. This must be one of the most devastating erroneous beliefs of the mentally ill.
Watching daughters grow into women without their mothers’ counsel and company is tragic.
I know their mothers’ shadows are with them every step of every day. They will never be forgotten. What a pity they aren’t with them in real life, sharing the good times and bad, sickness and health.
Scrolling through the feel-good, peppy accessories on the Kate Spade site, it’s not hard to feel it’s all a little hollow. Must have now! Glam new arrivals! In full bloom!
We need a much better understanding of the effects of mental illness in our community.
If those with depression felt less stigma about their condition, then they might get the help they need.
It’s telling that Spade’s sister said she was worried about the effect a hospital stay might have on the brand that bears her name (but which she no longer owns).
More openness might also give their loved ones better clues about what’s really going on.
It’s why I welcome people like actor Ruby Rose and TV anchor Jessica Rowe talking openly about their battles with depression.
OVERTON ON ROWE’S DEPRESSION BATTLE
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The Kate Spade website today marks her passing and says it wants to “honour all the beauty she brought into this world”. I’d bet her daughter would trade all the bags and trinkets in the world for more time with her mother. She’d be the first to know big earrings certainly don’t make you happy.
If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call 000.
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