British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead after committing suicide on Thursday.

The 40-year-old, also known as Lee, was found dead in his apartment in London on Thursday morning, according the British newspaper The Guardian.

McQueen, best known for some of the most controversial collections of the last two decades, died just days before the start of London Fashion Week. Days before, his mother had passed away.

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, said a statement released by his office.

Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.

The designer has dressed stars including Madonna, Lady Gag, Beyonce, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwen Stefani, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Nicole Kidman among many others.

One of his contemporary lines, McQ, was scheduled to be shown at New York Fashion Week on Thursday afternoon, according to the Daily Mail.

McQueen was also due to present collections in the next two weeks at London and Paris Fashion Weeks.