Cathy Horyn: L'Wren Scott was 'planning to close her business'
Michael Kovac/Getty Images
The news of acclaimed fashion designer L'Wren Scott's apparent suicide Monday was heartbreaking, especially since we know so few details about what really happened. Now, Cathy Horyn, who was a fashion critic for The New York Times for 15 years, offers new information in her heart-wrenching obituary to Scott.
According to Horyn, Scott's fashion label was in financial trouble, and the designer had "problems managing her business: cash flow, finding the right managers, getting her goods out of Italian factories on schedule." Scott's business, LS Fashion Ltd., was nearly $6 million in debt in 2012, and she pulled her show from London Fashion Week last month. Horyn says Scott was planning to release an official statement Wednesday about her decision to close the business.
In addition to the commentary on Scott's business' economic state, Horyn also describes her friendship with Scott, saying the designer had been troubled and was under a tremendous amount of stress from the fashion industry. But Horyn "didn't think she would do something so desperate. Not L'Wren."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Read the full obituary over at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.