Above, the late International Style Icon and famed editor, Isabella Blow.
Below, a model at a tribute fashion show by Treacy and McQueen for the late Icon.
Famed Magazine Editor and International Style Icon Isabella Blow died of an over dose of Paraquat on 6th May 2007.
She was only 48.
Despite being born into a well-off Knighted family with a reported wealth of over 4 million pounds, she was largely estranged from her family and had personal humble beginnings that had nothing to do with fashion or let alone remotely glamorous.
"I've done the most peculiar jobs. I was working in a scone shop for years, selling apricot-studded scones. I was a cleaner in London for two years. I wore a handkerchief with knots on the side, and my cousin saw me in the post office and said, What are you doing? I said, What do you think I look like I'm doing? I'm a cleaner!"
But her intense love of fashion, a sharp eye for talent and beauty and her ability to mingle with the creme De la creme of the fashion world, soon made her world famous and iconic.
Photographer Mario Testino told Vanity Fair in September 2007,
"She was brilliant at finding new things and could always find new ways of looking at things."
Why will she be missed?
> She discovered and backed world-famous fashion designer Alexander McQueen and his fashion house.
> She discovered Supermodels Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl.
> She discovered, backed the career of and is a muse to world famous #1 milliner Philip Treacy. In fact, his wonderous creations had become a trade-mark for Blow; famously being seen in public with his fanciful hats.
> She was responsible for the resurgence of the crystal-rhinestone firm Swarovski after convincing her designer friends to use the company's products in their fashions and accessories.
> Personal friend and former flat mate to actress Catherine Oxenberg.
> Best friend to Daphne Guinness, socialite and heiress to the Guinness empire.
> Personal friend and muse to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
> Worked for famous French fashion designer Guy Laroche .
> A former assistant and Personal friend to Andre Leon Talley, U.S. Vogue's editor-at-large
> Was a former assistant and personal friend to fashion director of U.S. Vogue, Anna Wintour.
> Was the Editor and fashion director for Tatler and the Sunday Times Style magazine
> Was a head Consultant to DuPont Lycra, Lacoste, and Swarovski.
Leading an international , jet-set life as an icon and socialite by being an Industry heavy weight, it was all but a sheen over a troubled personal life.
> Blow was disinherited by her father in 1994, and recieved only a token sum of money out of the multi-million dollar family fortune.
> A. McQueen didn't take her along when he sold his brand to Gucci. She discovered and supported him but being a muse, it was 'just hard to put a price on her worth.'
> Blow and her husband, Detmar Blow, had unsuccessfully tried in vitro fertilization eight times.
"We were like a pair of exotic fruits that could not breed when placed together",she said.
> Acute money problems with her mother-in-law, a disagreement with over which member of the family would inherit her husband's ancestral home
> Detmar had an affair with Stephanie Theobald, a bisexual who was the society editor of British Harper's Bazaar
> Severe depression eventually resulted in her being Bipolar.
She became seriously depressed and reportedly was anguished over her inability to
"find a home in a world she influenced"
Indeed, towards the end of her life, she was betrayed both personally and professionally; people whom she raised to great success but put her down to leave her with nothing.
Her position in high society was in jeopardy.
Indeed, being a founder, icon and muse, it's just 'hard to put a price on it'.
Blow introduced to the world master Milliner ,Philip Treacy, whom created this (among a myriad of others) just for her. A shining example of the kind of Talents that Blow was capable of discovering and grooming.
The passing of A Legend.
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