LONDON – Melanie Ward, one of the most revered and productive fashion stylists of her generation, has passed away this week, following a battle with cancer.
The news was first revealed on her official Instagram via a post on Wednesday night.
London-born and -raised, Ward attended London University and Central Saint Martins and emerged from the city’s street scene in the late ’80s.
She played a key role in the rise of the grunge movement in the early ’90s and helped define the now-mainstream minimalist aesthetic for brands like Helmut Lang, Calvin Klein, and Jil Sander at the time.
In 1995, she joined the American edition of Harper’s Bazaar as senior fashion editor, a role she held for 14 years.
She later went freelance and has since worked with photographers such as Juergen Teller, Corinne Day, Inez and Vinoodh, David Sims, Mario Sorrenti, Glen Luchford, Alasdair McLellan, and Willy Vanderperre.
Brands from her extensive client roster included Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Lanvin, Valentino, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and Yohji Yamamoto, as well as Apple, L’Oréal, Nike, Puma, Levi’s, and Shiseido.
Tributes soon poured in as the Internet reacted to her passing.
“I will miss you very much, brilliant, sweet friend,” Sorrenti commented on the post. “I will never forget all the funny, good times we had together. And all the hours we spent making pictures. Thank you for being so amazing and so kind!!! Safe travels.”
Creative director Ronnie Cooke Newhouse recalled in an Instagram story that her friendship and professional partnership with Ward began in the ’90s. “So much laughter and fun. She contributed so much to our industry, yet to be recognized properly,” she added.
Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, founder and global editor in chief of 10 Magazine, told WWD that she would miss Ward’s kindness, humility, and her giant heart.
“She always made time for people and had such a sense of mischief. She was so funny, and she loved to laugh and was constantly inspired by everything around her. She drew inspiration from the everyday,” said Neophitou-Apostolou.
“As a creative, she inspired a generation without pretension, without ego, just with hard work and a dedication to her craft. Her inspiration and impact on me began with the Face magazine, Kate Moss, and Corrine Day, and continued to inspire and surprise even today with the work she did with Harper’s Bazaar and working with Kim Jones for the men’s wear collection at Dior. She was one of the good ones in an industry, sometimes where taking the time to get to really know people and show humility and kindness comes low on the agenda,” Neophitou-Apostolou added.
Katie Grand, stylist and founder of Perfect magazine, called Ward “the best stylist and creative director there ever was.”
In an Instagram post, Grand said she didn’t really know what a stylist was until seeing Ward’s “Summer of Love” story featuring a young Kate Moss on the cover of the July 1990 issue of The Face. It made her realize that she wanted to be just like her.
“I still remember her walking into the studio wearing Adidas tracksuit bottoms, and god, she was so cool. I met her properly years later at the famous very late Marc Jacobs backwards show, where we went and got incredibly drunk at the Gramercy Park Hotel, and I went on and on about how she had changed my life and I would never have ended up ‘doing this’ without her incredible inspiration,” said Grand.
Image from Dior men’s fall 2023 campaign, styled by Melanie Ward
Rafael Pavarotti / Courtesy Dior
Sibling founder and fashion consultant Cozette McCreery said she first got to know Ward’s work with Day and later Lang, where both creatives have had a major influence on her.
“At the time, fashion shows and editorials barely recognized anyone beyond the photographer, so it took a while for me to hear her name and realize that it was her styling that I loved. Like Ray Petri before her, her eye for creating a look definitely changed the way I dressed while supporting how I was dressing at the time: black PVC jeans, an oversized Lang sweater, bed-head hair, bashed up Converse, and a scrubbed face were absolutely my idea of ‘dressing up,’” McCreery recalled.
“Knowing that I was a massive fan, when she started working with Kim Jones, he introduced us. The first thing she said was ‘Hi, I love how your shirt matches your shorts!’… And that was it, we were fashion friends – those wonderful people you see at shows or events during the numerous fashion months, and it’s always a joy to chat, catch up, and perhaps share chips at an expensive hotel. I hope she understood just how loved and influential she was and will continue to be. May her legacy now be amplified,” McCreery continued.
Huw Gwyther, fashion publisher and founder of independent titles Imagine, Wonderland, and Man About Town, said Ward’s work profoundly inspired his decision to study womenswear design at Central Saint Martins in the ’90s and fueled his lifelong career in the fashion industry.
“Her collaboration with Helmut Lang stands as one of the most influential partnerships in modern fashion. As Helmut Lang’s creative director, consultant, and stylist for 13 years, her visionary work with him ignited my excitement for fashion and solidified my desire to be a small part of this business,” said Gwyther.
“Her innovative approach not only redefined Helmut Lang’s aesthetic but also left a significant mark on the wider fashion landscape, influencing the visual strategies of brands such as Calvin Klein and Jil Sander. It’s hard to think of someone who made more of an impact on the industry with work that looks as inspiring and desirable today as it did back in the ’90s – she was truly the real deal – an exceptional talent the like of which comes along just once in a generation,” he added.
