In 2004, Isabella and Detmar Blow separated, reportedly so Detmar could father a son with a fertile woman and ensure his particular branch of the Blow family would remain in charge of their estate, Hilles. (How horrific and outmoded is that, mes bloggy dahlinks... Ah, to be English with all our ancien and outdated, male-dominated, policies and practices - C'est fabuleux, non?!)...
Detmar Blow went on to have an affair with Stephanie Theobald, bisexual society editor of Harpers Bazaar, while his estranged wife entered into a liaison with a gondolier in Venice. It had to be, did it not, how dramatic would that appear to others - A gondolier? The height of romance en effet...
During the couple's separation, Blow was diagnosed with a Bipolar Disorder and began therapy. For a time, the treatments appeared to help. After an eighteen month separation, Isabella and Detmar reunited. Soon after, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
On May 6, 2007, during a weekend house party at Hilles, where the guests included Treacy and his life partner, Stefan Bartlett, Blow announced that she was going shopping. Instead, she was discovered collapsed on a bathroom floor by her sister Lavinia and was taken to hospital, where Blow told the doctor she had drunk Paraquat, a weed-killer...
She died in hospital the very next day.
A coroner ruled the death suicide. Lavinia stated that her sister had told her: "I'm worried that I haven't taken enough." After her death, Detmar confirmed that his wife had had depression, declaring, "I can't beat it".
Isabella's funeral was held on May 15, 2007. Her coffin, made of willow, was surmounted by one of her Philip Treacy hats instead of a floral tribute, and her pallbearers included young Otis Ferry, son of Bryan, and Rupert Everett delivered a eulogy.
Everett remembered their travels together in India, and ended, "Now you have got what you wanted Issy and we are all wondering why. You were a one off, a genius friend, your own creation in a world of copycats and I will miss you for the rest of my life.”
Many of her mourners arrived resplendent in hats that Isabella herself would have coveted...
Blogger won't let me post those pics here owing to bandwidth size - it keeps gobbling them up and admonishing me to 'upgrade my package' (the cheek!), but if you're interested, please just go Googling... Isabella would surely have wanted you to.
So too would Jarvis, also famous for his English Eccentricity... I could not resist posting this pic of him here, as he is another hero of mine...
Both of these 'eccentrics' weren't of the 'cookie-cutter' school - They were and are unique, individual, stylish - Even inventing their own styles, and not giving in to society's prejudices about what 'everyone should be wearing, darjeeling...'
Neither of these lovelies is a beauty, but they have a rare charm, a certain je ne sais quoi, and they have 'fooled' the camera into capturing that... The French, I think, call it jolie-laide... Those who can look wondrous, even when not necessarily even-featured, conventionally beautiful, like Cindy Crawford, for example... So, see la Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg, their daughter, Charlotte, and so on...on and on...
Fhina-lement, take heart, mes bloggy blackberries...
I do!
11 comments:
Mornin' Fhina,
Perhaps it isn't possible for anyone to give off such an intense glow for very long? Jarvis looks long and languorous doesn't he?
And I was only joking about beaucoup de baisers!
Ma chère FSI,
The British do eccentricity very well - perhaps due to lack of fear of ridicule, even if some who try eccentricity do indeed only achieve ridicule!
The French don't do eccentricity at all but they do have a soft spot for non-classical beauty - the "jolie laide" expression but also "avoir du chien" (literally "have some dog", hilarant, non?) for people like Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg but also Romane Bohringer and Vincent Cassell (even if his dad was a knockout).
Ne t'inquiète (no "s", it's the imperative mode) pas si tu ne vois pas de commentaires de ma part pendant quelques jours - je pars quelques jours en Angleterre.
Bises tout plein
You never fail to entertain and inform with elan.
I met her once at a party in Chelsea given by Mike Roberts for whom she once worked (or worked with, according to which of them you were talking to). I think she was a bit out of it when we spoke - she didn't make much sense but she sure looked colourful
Sounds like one of those shorter lives that you enjoy for what it was, while it was; and let the echo live on when it ends.
Have a lovely afernoon, dear Fhina. You are one of the brightest spots in my day. XO
Bloggus
Enjoyed this. Thanks ;-)
G'day...
I've enjoyed what you've written here.
Eccentricity can be a wonderful camouflage for pain and also a creative outlet for someone seeking to make their heart sing.
Certainly a multi facetted lifesyle.
best wishes Ribbon
What a fascinating life - dazzling yet sad.
Doesn't being English mean being eccentric?!
What a fitting tribute that guests arrived with outlandish hats; such a tragic ending to her life..
Derrick: 'Perhaps it isn't possible for anyone to give off such an intense glow for very long?' I think that is probably very true, Sir, and Jarvis does look very languorous in that shot, non?!... x
kapgaf: I think you have it, kapgaf! So here it is again: "...The British do eccentricity very well - perhaps due to lack of fear of ridicule, even if some who try eccentricity do indeed only achieve ridicule!"
I love that you have introduced me to, "avoir du chien" - Fabuleux! Ah, so you're off to England - Travel well, my friend - Take care, and I hope you've brought your "Trench" with you! xxx
Rosaria: Elan, such a wonderful word,a nd thank you for using it in any commenction to me, my sweet! x
FF: And once again, you amaze me, French Fancy. You have had such an interesting life that has brought you into contact with some amazing folk, non?! x
blognut: Very beautifully said, Bloggus, very touching - to "let the echo live on when it ends..." Take care, my dahlink Bloggus, you are such a sweet love! xox
Carolina: Merci mille, Caro! x
Ribbon: Thank you too! And to make one's heart sing - How do you do that, floating Ribbon? xox
LadyFi: True... x
jinksy: Too true, la Jinks! x
carma: The pics I saw of the hats worn at her funeral were very touching... I was only sorry not to be able to post them here. Hers was a very tragic end, and part of me fails to understand how one could reach that point... xox
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