The designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home this morning. Full details are yet to emerge, but reports suggest it was a suicide. Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue, paid tribute to his talent and influence:

Lee [Alexander] McQueen influenced a whole generation of designers. His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs.

At one level he was a master of the fantastic, creating astounding fashion shows that mixed design, technology and performance, and on another he was a modern-day genius whose Gothic aesthetic was adopted by women the world over.

His death is the hugest loss to anyone who knew him and for very many who didn't.