L'Wren Scott produced lots of beautiful clothes. She was a talented woman who began her career as a model before working as a film costume designer (she worked on films such as Eyes Wide Shut), stylist and fashion designer.
She launched her own critically acclaimed label in 2006, and her elegant, beautifully cut garments had attracted a devoted following. But when the tragic news broke at the weekend that Scott had died by suicide in her New York apartment, anyone could be forgiven for thinking that her primary job was being Mick Jagger's girlfriend.
It seemed like every media outlet included the fact that she was Jagger's partner in their headlines, with many, including the BBC in its initial radio news reports, not bothering to use Scott's actual name at all. Scott's impressive achievements were reduced to nothing - she was suddenly just "Mick Jagger's lover". The story made the front page of pretty much every newspaper, and a scan of the Irish titles suggested the Examiner was the only paper that didn't use Jagger's name in its headline.
L'Wren Scott at the British Fashion Awards in December 2013 (Photo: Doug Peters/Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)Obviously there are many people who didn't know who Scott was, and the death of the partner of one of the most famous rock stars in the world is, I suppose, newsworthy. But it felt like yet another sad example of a woman being defined by her relationship with men, even after her death.
And although the circumstances - and indeed the relationships - are obviously very different, it was strangely reminiscent of the death of Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot and killed by her partner, the famous athlete Oscar Pistorius. When the news of her death broke, the woman herself was barely mentioned - she was Pistorius's "blonde model girlfriend" rather than a person in her own right - and when the trial finally began recently, her death was exploited in a particularly revolting fashion by bookmaker Paddy Power. Her personhood and her own achievements were taken away; her too-short life was summed up in terms of her romantic relationships.
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Reeva Steenkamp (Image: EPA)The reduction of L'Wren Scott to Mick's lover isn't the only unpleasant aspect of the media coverage of her death. Suicide is a very sensitive and emotive issue, which is why the Samaritans issue media guidelines advising journalists on how to cover the topic responsibly. Unfortunately, loads of those rules have been broken in the coverage of L'Wren's death, from detailed descriptions of how she died to speculation over her mental state and the supposed "triggers" that led to her death.
One of the nastiest aspects, however, was the fact that several tabloids chose to splash a photograph of Jagger all over their front pages, supposedly depicting the moment he learned of Scott's death. The UK Star's headline, "Moment Jagger was told of lover's suicide", was typically crass and upsetting (and left out Scott's name yet again), and sadly this wasn't even the worst of the headlines.
Why they thought all this was in the public interest is beyond me. Was anyone really sitting there thinking, 'Wow, I'd really like to know what someone looks like when they find out the woman who has been their partner for over a decade is dead'? I suspect not.
L'Wren Scott Designs: Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence (Images courtesy of AP/Evan Agostini/ Invision, AP/John Shearer/Invision, AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)In any case, Mick responded with dignity, issuing this moving statement:
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I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way. We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves. She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me. I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her, and also the personal messages of support that I have received. I will never forget her.
So were you a fan of Scott's work? What did you think of the media coverage? And how could these issues be covered more sensitively?
