Alexander McQueen dies at Mayfair home

The internationally renowned fashioned designer, Alexander McQueen, was found at his Mayfair home this morning after apparently committing suicide.

The influential British designer was in mourning for his mother who recently died.  He posted a message to his now-deleted Twitter account last week saying “awful week but my friends have been great but now i have to some how pull myself together”. His very last Twitter message was posted earlier today and said: “im here with my girl annie tinkerbell wishing kerry the slag ,happy birthday in NY ,your 40 now girl time to slow it down we think.”

His death was confirmed with an official statement on his website:

ON BEHALF OF LEE MCQUEEN’S FAMILY, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TODAY ANNOUNCES THE TRAGIC NEWS THAT LEE MCQUEEN, THE FOUNDER AND DESIGNER OF THE ALEXANDER MCQUEEN BRAND HAS BEEN FOUND DEAD AT HIS HOME. 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 LEE’S FAMILY.

His career started with an apprenticeship at Savile Row Anderson & Sheppard, before moving on to Gieves & Hawkes.

McQueen’s body was removed from his Green Street apartment this afternoon and then ghoulishly followed through London streets by a 24 hour news channel’s helicopter.

Royal Academy of Ghosts

Security guards at the Royal Academy have had their night time patrols interrupted by … ghosts.

The Evening Standard has reported on numerous sightings of ghostly apparitions at the Royal Academy of Arts at Burlington House. Some of the guards even wear headphones to block out the sound of the “screaming nun” on Nun’s Walk.

Read more in Louis Jury’s report on the Evening Standard website.

Ghost sightings are not uncommon in Mayfair, with others having claimed that no 50 Berkeley Square is the most haunted house in London.

Charles and Camilla visit Mayfair school

HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall paid a visit to a Mayfair school on Tuesday.

The royal couple attended St George’s CE Primary School in South Street to watch a cookery demonstration and to watch pupils and chefs Gary Rhodes and Heston Blumenthal take part in an event called “Chefs Adopt A School“.

Prince Charles is a patron of the Academy of Culinary Arts.

First female head cutter on Savile Row

I’m not sure how we missed one a few weeks back, but over in Savile Row a woman has been appointed head cutter for the first time.

Kathryn Sargent was recently appointed to the position at legendary tailors, Gieves & Hawkes, having worked for the company for 14 years.

Well done, Kathryn – more information can be found here.

Blair lines up Mayfair hedge fund speeches

FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair will give a number of speeches to senior executives at a Mayfair hedge fund, it has been reported.

Blair will give private speeches giving a “macro view on geopolitics” to employees of the hedge fund based in Davies Street, Mayfair, but will not be taking on a formal role with the firm.

The former Prime Minister who left office in 2007 returned to the public glare on Friday when he gave evidence to the Chilcott Inquiry into the war in Iraq. Since leaving office it is thought that Mr Blair has earned millions through advisory jobs and speeches around the world.

Crime and Punishment – Coming to a Squat Near You

A theatre group is putting on a performance of Crime and Punishment in a Curzon Street squat.

The Oubliette artshouse was created when a group entered a vacant building at 61 Curzon Street with a view to putting on plays and exhibitions. Now, the Ashes and Diamonds theatre group will be using one of the rooms inside the building, which has apparently been empty since 1997, to put on a performance of Dostoyevsky’s Crime & Punishment.

The group says their performance is “site specific” so it has had to be adapted for its new surroundings after problems developed with their originally planned venue – St Nicholas college, just down the road at 16 Curzon Street.

The show is running from the 2-5 January, and tickets are reserved by going onto their Facebook group page and asking for them.

Christmas Day Fire at the Athenaeum

A fire broke out at a Mayfair hotel on the morning of Christmas Day.

The blaze at the Athenaeum on Piccadilly started at around 7.30 on Christmas Day, and six appliances were sent by Fire fighters. 150 guests were evacuated from the 10-storey hotel and one person needed treatment for smoke inhalation.

The Daily Telegraph quotes a London Fire Brigade spokesman as saying: “Around 150 people were evacuated and the Fire Brigade was called at 7.21am.

“The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.”

Smythson of Bond St Sold to Italian Firm

A MAYFAIR based luxury stationery shop has been sold to an Italian company for a reported £18million.

Smythson of Bond Street, which stocks a range of up market stationery and leather accessories, was started in 1887 by Frank Smythson and has held several Royal warrants. More recently, with Samantha Cameron as Creative Director, it has become some of a fashion icon with its Nancy bag being seen swinging from the arms of many female celebrities.

According to reports, Smythson has been purchased by Greenwill SA, the holding company for Tivoli Group – an Italian leather goods manufacturer.

US Embassy Sold to Qatari Diar

It has been reported that the US Embassy building in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, has been sold to the middle eastern property investor, Qatari Diar.

Qatari Diar attracted controversy when its Lord Rogers-designed plans for the Chelsea Barracks were criticised by Prince Charles and subsequently withdrawn.

The US Embassy was last month given Grade II listed building status and will not be vacated until around 2016-2017, at which time the new compound at Nine Elms should be ready to move into.

US Embassy Gets Listed Status

The facade of the US Embassy building in Grosvenor Status has been given listed building status by the government minister responsible for architecture.

The controversial building, which often divides opinion, has been cited as an important piece of modernist architecture by Margaret Hodge.

The Embassy was built between 1955 and 1957 and designed by Eero Saarinen. Last year, it was announced that the Embassy was looking to move to a new site at Nine Elms and would sell the building. Any new buyer will now be forced to maintain the existing facade may dampen price expectations for the gargantuan compound.

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