by Diandra Escamilla 

Beloved British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home Thursday morning. Reports say that he died by hanging himself. A statement from the 40-year-old fashion icon's press office confirmed his death: "At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with [McQueen's] family."

Insiders say McQueen was deeply affected by the 2007 suicide of fellow fashion icon and mentor Isabella Blow, who died in a hospital after swallowing a lethal dose of poison. After she purchased his entire graduation collection from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design the two developed a strong friendship. For many years she remained a trusted friend as McQueen worked his way up in the industry.

He was also reportedly distraught over the recent death of his mother, Joyce, on Feb. 2. Posted comments on his Twitter page showed signs of anguish, increasing speculation about his state of mind. A day after her death the grieving designer tweeted "I'm letting my followers know the my mother passed away yesterday if it she had not me nor would you RIP mumx." A minute later he added "but life must go on!" On Sunday he tweeted "sunday evening been a f****** awful week but my friends have been great but now i have to some how pull myself together ..."

In recent years McQueen had become one of the most popular designers in fashion and was widely considered to be one of the greatest fashion icons of his generation. The avant-garde designer is noted for his flamboyant womenswear, impeccable tailoring and outrageous runway shows.

"McQueen influenced a whole generation of designers. His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs," said Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue. This past September, his Spring 2010 collection was shown during New York's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week last, and it became a major event when Lady Gaga debuted her single, "Bad Romance" at the show. Gaga, an open fan of McQueen's work, would go on to wear the "armadillo" shoes he debuted at that show in the "Bad Romance" video.

He will be sorely missed.