British fashion designer Alexander McQueen apparently hanged himself in his London home, according to the Daily Mail. He was found Feb. 11, on the eve of his mother’s funeral. McQueen, 40, had a reputation as an enfant terrible, but changed fashion in various ways, including using a double amputee as a runway model and employing unconventional designs, according to the BBC. A posting on McQueen’s Twitter page revealed that his mother died Feb. 2. In 2007, his close friend Isabella Blow killed herself shortly before London’s Fashion Week.
McQueen said that he realized his sexual orientation at an early age, telling British Vogue in 2002, “I came out really young. I was never in [the closet]. I was sure of myself and my sexuality and I’ve got nothing to hide. I went straight from my mother’s womb onto the gay parade.”