June Ambrose Awkwardly Asked If Kate Spade Was at the CFDA Awards a Year After the Designer's Death

We all make mistakes, it’s just unfortunate that June Ambrose’s was caught live on camera. While hosting a livestream at the CFDA Awards on Monday night, the stylist and costume designer accidentally asked influencer and entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman if Kate Spade was in attendance — nearly a year after the designer’s shocking and tragic death.

During a red carpet interview livestreamed through the CFDA, Bronfman told Ambrose that she was wearing Kate Spade, which Ambrose then remarked was "another one of my favorite American designers." She went on to question where Spade was. "Are you here with Kate? Is she here?" she asked. "Did you come before her or did she skip by me?" While some might have cringed or been flustered by the question, Bronfman handled it with grace, saying she was there with the Kate Spade team and leaving it at that.

Spade died by suicide a year ago on June 5, 2018. The designer — who founded both her namesake brand and later, the accessories line Frances Valentine — was just 55 at the time. The current creative director of Kate Spade New York is Nicola Glass, who attended the awards alongside Bronfman, as well as actresses Beanie Feldstein, Molly Gordon, and Sadie Sink.

After a clip of Ambrose's interview was posted online, there was plenty of backlash. On social media, many questioned how a fashion industry professional could ask such a thing, or not realize that Spade had passed away. Ambrose later apologized for the slip.

"Good morning I want to address an error I made last night while hosting the CFDA red carpet," she tweeted Tuesday morning. "I sincerely apologize to the family and friends of the late Kate Spade, in addition to the team at Kate Spade for having misspoken. I made a mistake and I’m sorry to those I offended."