Elegy for Isabella Blow, 2008

Isabella Blow died on May 7, 2007. She committed suicide. I never met her. I admired her from afar; I have no idea what I would have said to her if we’d been in the same room. I am a fairly reserved person, Isabella Blow seemed to be anything but reserved (though she said in interviews that she was shy). Her death made me very sad.

Isabella Blow was a fashion editor for Tattler and British Vogue. She was a patron and muse for Philip Treacy and Alexander McQueen, she had an eye for talent and the coming thing. She famously wore extreme, miraculous ensembles of hats, clothes, shoes and she said, “My style icon is anyone who makes a bloody effort.”

After she died I had dreams about her. I wanted to give her something, but that was impossible. So I made some pictures for her. It isn’t much, but it is in a language she would have understood.

Here is a link to an interview of Philip Treacy in the Telegraph: Philip Treacy and Isabella Blow: the hatter and his muse. 

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