The fashion world can be a pretty exciting place, but it can also be a pretty dark place. From scandals and suicides to assaults and murders, the fashion world has seen it all. Here are 13 of the most shocking tragedies and scandals to rock the fashion industry over recent years!
13. L’Wren Scott
This past March, fashion designer L’Wren Scott was found hanging by a scarf in her New York apartment. After her suicide, it was revealed that her fashion line fell $6 million in debt and that she was unable to pay her staff and suppliers. The fashion designer had even made plans to announce that her fashion label would be discontinued prior to her suicide.
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12. Rachel Zoe and Brad Goreski
Rachel Zoe and her ex assistant Brad Goreski were the best of friends until he left her growing empire to branch out on his own as a stylist. Rumor has it that the two fell out because he stole her clients and came out with his own reality TV show to rival “The Rachel Zoe Project.”
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11. John Galliano
British fashion designer John Galliano made headlines in 2011 when The Sun posted a video of him making anti-Semitic remarks to Italian tourists in a Parisian bar. He was subsequently charged and found guilty by a French court of racist and anti-Semitic abuse and was told to pay 6,000 euros to the victims. Galliano was also dismissed as the head of Dior over the incident.
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10. Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is known for her bad temper. She has been accused of assaulting more than one of her personal assistants, her housekeeper, her maid, her friend and two police officers. Even after taking anger management classes, she still managed to get banned for life from British Airways for spitting at the officers after an argument about her lost luggage.
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9. Kate Moss
When Kate Moss was caught on camera doing cocaine in 2005, she suffered professionally. She was dropped from numerous fashion campaigns for H&M, Burberry and Chanel, which totaled close to $4 million.
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8. Terry Richardson
Fashion photographer Terry Richardson has a reputation for behaving inappropriately at photo shoots. He has been accused of taking advantage of young women who are trying to get into modeling by getting them to do sexually explicit things while promising them that it will make them famous.
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7. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana – the heads of the upscale fashion house Dolce & Gabbana – have been found guilty of hiding hundreds of euros from Italian tax authorities. Both fashion designers have been sentenced to 18 months in jail; however, they plan to appeal.
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6. Nicole Richie and Rachel Zoe
When Nicole Richie fired her personal stylist Rachel Zoe back in 2006, she didn’t hide her feelings. The socialite posted a thinly veiled message on her MySpace page, accusing Zoe of having an eating disorder. “Blind Item: What 35-year-old raisin face whispers her order of 3 pieces of asparagus for dinner at Chateau (Marmont) every night, and hides her deathly disorder by pointing the finger at me, and used her last paycheck I wrote her to pay for a publicist instead of a nutritionist? HINT: Her nickname is lettucecup.”
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5. Michele Savoia
Fashion designer Michele Savoia was found dead earlier this year in the Hudson River. He disappeared after a night of partying and was missing for a few days. Police believe that that he was drunk and accidentally fell into the river when he was trying to get onto his yacht.
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4. Isabella Blow
In 2007, fashion director Isabella Blow – who was credited with discovering fashion designer Alexander McQueen – killed herself by drinking half a pint of the weed killer, Paraquat. The fashion guru had struggled with depression and had made several suicide attempts in the months leading up to her suicide.
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3. Gianni Versace
Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot dead outside his Miami mansion in 1997. He was murdered by Andrew Cunanan who was on the run from the FBI after he murdered at least five people. Eight days after killing Versace, he took his own life. To this day, no one is entirely sure why he murdered the celebrated fashion designer.
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2. Alexander McQueen
British Fashion designer Alexander McQueen hung himself back in 2010 after taking cocaine, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. He was reported to be struggling with depression and the death of his mother when he decided to take his own life.
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1. Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder shocked the world back in 2001 when she was arrested on shoplifting charges. In 2002, the Oscar-nominated actress was found guilty of stealing $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories at Saks Fifth Avenue and was sentenced to three years probation, 480 hours of community service, $3,700 in fines, $6,355 in restitution to the Saks Fifth Avenue store and ordered to attend psychological and drug counseling.