Alexander McQueen hanged himself in London home
(Agencies)
2010-02-18 16:56
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| This Monday, June 2, 2003 file photo shows Alexander McQueen posing for photographers after winning the International Award at the 2003 Council of Fashion Design Awards held in New York.[Agencies] |
LONDON – A bereaved Alexander McQueen left a note, then hanged himself in his apartment on the eve of his mother's funeral, a coroner's inquest said Wednesday, giving the cause of the fashion designer's death as asphyxiation and hanging.
The inquest has yet to formally deliver a ruling of suicide, but police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
Coroner's official Lynda Martindill told the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court that the body of 40-year-old McQueen was found in an armoire at his London apartment on Thursday. In the dispassionate language of the inquest, she referred to him as "a single man, a fashion designer."
Days before he died, McQueen had left several messages on the social networking site Twitter revealing his grief at his mother's recent death.
Police detective inspector Paul Armstrong told the inquest there were no suspicious circumstances. He gave the note found at the scene to coroner Paul Knapman but did not disclose its contents.
After a five-minute hearing, the coroner adjourned the inquest until April 28. Full details of the autopsy also will be available in a few months.
McQueen's family, who are now free to hold the designer's funeral, issued a statement through their lawyers appealing to the media to respect their privacy following their "grievous double loss."
They have not released details of the funeral.
In Britain, inquests are held whenever someone dies violently or in unexplained circumstances.
McQueen's death has cast a shadow over London Fashion Week, which opens on Friday. A spokeswoman said the event would feature a tribute to the designer, whose attention-grabbing designs helped re-energize British fashion after a fallow period following the punk explosion in the 1970s.
"There will be something simple and tasteful," she said. "The time for memorials will be later in the year."
She spoke on condition of anonymity because organizers are waiting for McQueen's family to approve the tribute.
Known for his dramatic statement pieces and impeccable tailoring, McQueen dressed celebrities from Cameron Diaz to Lady Gaga and influenced a generation of designers.
He was named British Designer of the Year four times and awarded the title of CBE — Commander of the Order of the British Empire — by Queen Elizabeth II.