Alexander McQueen Hanged; Left Suicide Note

It's a bizarre and sad ending to the story of Alexander McQueen's life and death. He was loved by so many, yet seemed so alone. Described by friends as fragile, it appears that no one knew just how fragile the designer to the stars felt following the death of his mother.

The New York Daily News confirms that the coroner ruled the death "nonsuspicious" in a report to a London inquiry on Wednesday. The coroner affirmed death by asphyxiation, confirming reports that McQueen hanged himself in his the wardrobe of his home. The coroner also confirms that a suicide note was found. While I'm sure family, friends, and fans of Alexander McQueen would love to know exactly what drove McQueen to execute his own death by hanging, the suicide note remains, at this time, undisclosed.

It seems that having written a suicide note McQueen might have wanted to communicate a message or the reasons for his suicide. If this note were instead the last wishes of a dying man, a statement would be allowed. However, because this is note, associated with the "nonsuspicious" suicide of a man who is already deceased, the note is being withheld. That makes a lot of sense.

McQueen hanged himself in his wardrobe in his home in London. Friends knew that he was suffering dynamic grief due to the loss of his mother the previous week. The last words from Alexander McQueen are cryptic Twitter messages that we don't quite know how to interpret.

McQueen tweeted that he needed to pull himself together and finish, according to the NY Daily News, but we don't know what he intended to finish. Was it a design project or was this his silent plea for help as he planned to end his own life? Perhaps, the suicide note sheds light on what the fashion designer was thinking.

Celebrities who often wore Alexander McQueen's designs and those who adored him as a friend include Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Rihanna, and Sarah Jessica Parker. These celebrities and more wore McQueen's designs and have expressed their shock and grief over his passing.

Despite the clarity of the coroner, the inquest is withholding an official determination of suicide pending an autopsy. An official report from the inquest is not expected until April.

Sources:

Kates, Brian. Alexander McQueen Hanged self in Wardrobe, left Suicide Note: Coroner, NY Daily News.

Meikle, James. Alexander McQueen Hanged Himself, Inquest Told, UK Guardian