Inquest: Designer died by hanging
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 yesterday, 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 last 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 members issued a statement through their lawyers appealing to the media to respect their privacy after their “grievous double loss.’’
McQueen’s death has cast a shadow over London Fashion Week, which opens tomorrow. A spokeswoman said the event would feature a tribute to the designer, whose attention-grabbing designs helped reenergize British fashion after a fallow period following the punk explosion in the 1970s.
