LONDON – Stella Tennant took her own life last month, according to a statement her family made to The Telegraph newspaper on Wednesday.
Tennant died a few days after her 50th birthday. Her family told the British newspaper that she was struggling with mental health problems. Tennant is survived by her four children, her husband David Lasnet, her parents Tobias Tennant and Lady Emma Cavendish, a brother and a sister.
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The newspaper quoted the family: “We have been humiliated by the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support since Stella’s death.
‘She was a beautiful soul, worshiped by a close family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humor touched so much.
‘Stella has been ill for some time. It is therefore a matter of our deepest sorrow and despair that she was unable to continue, despite the love of those closest to her. In grief over Stella’s loss, her family renews a sincere request that respect for their privacy continue. ”
Tennant, an androgynous beauty who erupted on the fashion scene in the early nineties, quickly became a muse for designers as diverse as Karl Lagerfeld, Gianni Versace and Riccardo Tisci. She continued to model after marrying and having children, and also designed for the Chanel-owned outerwear brand and gun manufacturer Holland & Holland.
She was found dead on December 22 in her home in Duns, Scotland, in the Scottish Borders.
A few days after her family announced the death, the Scottish authorities confirmed that they were investigating the cause. A spokesman for the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland said the investigation was being conducted by the country’s death investigation unit.
“The investigation is continuing and the family will be kept informed of any significant developments,” the service said in a statement last week.
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