Richard Nicoll dies suddenly at just 39

Richard Nicoll has passed away suddenly at the age of just 39 while in Sydney; it is understood he may have had a heart attack.

Nicoll, who was born in London and raised in Perth, was in Sydney and working on collaborations with local Sydney industry figures Mikey Nolan and Toby Jones, according to Sydney's Daily Telegraph.

An ambulance was called to his apartment in the early hours of Friday morning (Australian time) and Nicoll was taken to St Vincent's Hospital. Police are not treating his death as suspicious but no cause had been confirmed at the time of writing, however some sources claim he died from a heart attack.

Nicoll graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2002 and went on to establish his own label which he showed at London Fashion Week and which he put on hold in 2014. A high profile figure in the industry, Nicoll had worked with a number of high profile brands during his career including Topshop, Cerutti, Louis Vuitton, Fred Perry and Jack Wills. He was preparing to take up a role with Adidas in January.

British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush CBE issued a heartfelt tribute to the designer, saying: "We are all deeply saddened by the news that the wonderful, kind hearted and talented Richard Nicoll passed away. He had been part of NEWGEN, Fashion Forward, shortlisted for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and BFC/GQ Menswear Fund and showed both at London Fashion Week and the first few editions of London Collections Men. He had many friends here and in the British fashion community and he will be truly missed."