British authorities: Fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found hanging in his home

Alexander McQueen died of asphyxiation

LONDON — Fashion designer Alexander McQueen hanged himself in the wardrobe of his London apartment last week after leaving a note nearby, a British coroner’s official told an inquest Wednesday.

The contents of the note were not released by the coroner’s office, which is charged with formally identifying the circumstances of the designer’s death.

Coroner’s officer Lynda Martindill said the 40-year-old McQueen had died from asphyxiation and hanging. Full details of the autopsy will be available in a few months.

McQueen — one of British fashion’s brightest stars — was found dead Thursday at his home in central London. He had left several messages on the social networking site Twitter revealing his grief at the death of his mother days earlier.

There were no suspicious circumstances in the death, and authorities suspect no malice, police detective inspector Paul Armstrong testified. After a five-minute hearing Wednesday, coroner Paul Knapman adjourned the inquest until April 28. The inquest has yet to formally rule McQueen’s death a suicide.

Four days before his death McQueen had posted messages about his “awful week,” and said he had to “somehow pull myself together and finish.”

Known for his dramatic statement pieces and impeccable tailoring, McQueen dressed celebrities from Cameron Diaz to Lady Gaga and influenced a generation of designers.