Cachay’s ex-boyfriend, Nicholas “Nick” Brooks is being held by police while they seek a warrant to investigate him further, but an initial autopsy hasn’t provided any clues into how the 33-year-old designer died. {NY Daily News} Brooks is the son of controversial Oscar winning songwriter Joseph Brooks, who faces charges for luring women to false auditions, then sexually assaulting them.

Cachay was discovered clothed, sitting in a bathtub in a room at the Soho House with the water running. There were reportedly no signs of trauma, drug use or a struggle in the room, and the city’s medical examiner is awaiting tissue and toxicology tests to declare an official cause of death. {NY Times} Though the NY Daily News reports that a source says police believe the designer was strangled, based on bruising on her neck.

According to Sylvie Cachay’s website, the dual citizen of the US and Peru lived in the East Village and began her fashion career as an intern at Marc Jacobs, then moved to Tommy Hilfiger where she eventually became the Head Designer of Women’s Sportswear. Her next stop was as Victoria’s Secret’s head of swimwear, and in 2006 she struck out on her own with Syla, a luxury swimwear collection.

Update: Cachay’s death has officially been declared a homicide, with medical examiners saying that Cachay was held underwater and strangled. {Huffington Post} The charges against Nick Brooks will not be announced until January 4th, but he is currently being held in connection without bail.

Sadly, McQueen’s suicide is not the first to shake the fashion world. Model Daul Kim took her own life in November, and Isabella Blow, who famously purchased McQueen’s entire graduate collection, also died as a result of suicide in 2007.

Thoughts from some of McQueen’s peers:

“We are devastated to learn of the death of Alexander McQueen, one of the greatest talents of his generation. He brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen’s influence was astonishing—from street style, to music culture and the world’s museums. His passing marks an insurmountable loss.”

– Anna Wintour, Vogue

“I am truly devastated to lose my close friend. His talent had no boundaries and he was an inspiration to everyone who worked with him and knew him. This is a sad day to all who loved him around the world and my condolences are with his family. I will miss him so much, he will never be forgotten.”

– Naomi Campbell

“I found his work very interesting and never banal. There was always some attraction to death, his designs were sometimes dehumanized. Who knows, perhaps after flirting with death too often, death attracts you.”

– Karl Lagerfeld

via eOnline