L'Wren Scott

L'Wren Scott (formerly Luann Bambrough; April 28, 1964 – March 17, 2014) was an American model, fashion and costume designer. She was the girlfriend of the Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.

Early life and education

Scott was named Luann Bambrough by Mormon adoptive parents Ivan and Lula Bambrough, who raised her in Roy, Utah. Known for her tall frame, she had already reached 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) in height by the age of twelve, and would eventually grow to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).

Career

At the suggestion of photographer Bruce Weber, who spotted her at a Calvin Klein hosiery photo shoot, Scott left Utah after graduating from high school for Paris to pursue a career as a model, changing her name from Luann to L'Wren. In Paris, Scott went on to work for Thierry Mugler and Chanel, as well as model for such renowned photographers as Guy Bourdin, David Bailey and Jean-Paul Goude.

Stylist

Scott moved to California in the early 1990s and established herself as a stylist, initially in collaboration with photographer Herb Ritts, and later with Helmut Newton, Karl Lagerfeld and Mario Sorrenti. One of her early assignments was an ad campaign for Elizabeth Taylor's "White Diamonds", eventually the world's top-selling celebrity fragrance. She became a highly influential celebrity stylist.

In 2009, she contributed designs for Madonna to wear in her photo shoot with model Jesus Luz for W Magazine and in 2011, Scott styled actress Julia Roberts for a W Magazine shoot, alongside Tom Hanks.

Scott designed costumes for such films as Diabolique (1996 remake), Ocean's Thirteen, Eyes Wide Shut, as well as Shine a Light, a documentary by Martin Scorsese about the Rolling Stones, with Mick Jagger, with whom she had been romantically linked since 2001.

Designer

Scott's first collection as a clothing designer was called "Little Black Dress". It was launched in 2006. The collection presented an array of black dresses, including her now famous "Headmistress" dress worn by Madonna. Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie,Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz and Amy Adams have all worn Scott's dresses to the Academy Awards. Other celebrities who have worn Scott's designs include Michelle Obama, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Naomi Campbell, Reese Witherspoon, Christina Hendricks, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock and Uma Thurman.

In 2010, Scott collaborated with Lancôme to design a capsule collection for the 2010 holiday season featuring a lipstick in Scott's signature bordeaux color. The campaign was shot by photographer Mario Testino and featured model Daria Werbowy wearing an outfit designed by Scott. May 2011 saw the launch of Scott's first collection of handbags. The line was launched at Barneys New York, with a personal appearance by Scott. Scott collaborated with Banana Republic with an exclusive holiday collection including apparel and accessories for women.

In February, the London Fashion Week showing of her fall 2014 collection was cancelled.

Death

Scott was found dead by her assistant at her apartment at 200 11th Avenue in the Chelsea section of Manhattan around 10 a.m. on March 17, 2014, a month before her 50th birthday The AP reported that no note was found and there was no sign of foul play. A medical examiner has yet to determine the official cause of death. It is suspected to have been suicide.

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