Hayley Marie Kohle (May 6, 1982 – October 11, 2008)[1] was a Canadian fashion model active in the 2000s. She worked internationally with contracts with agencies in Canada, United States, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Germany and the United Kingdom, before dying by suicide at the age of 26.[2]
Hayley Marie Kohle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 6, 1982 Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | October 11, 2008 (aged 26) Milan, Italy |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Hair color | Blonde[1] |
| Eye color | Blue[1] |
Career
editKohle was born in Beausejour, Manitoba.[3] According to Kohle's main agency Panache Management, she began her modelling career in 2000,[4] while according to her sister Bridget, she began her career in 2002 after winning a local model search contest.[2]
She was represented by agencies in Toronto, New York, Athens, Istanbul, Milan, Hamburg and London.[2] Based in these cities, she had modelled internationally for seven years by 2008.[4]
Death
editOn October 11, 2008, Kohle was found dead in Italy. She died after falling from the seventh-floor balcony of an apartment at Milan, and Italian police ruled it a suicide by jumping.[2] She had been there for just over a year after signing a contract with a modelling agency through the Panache modelling agency in Winnipeg. She was 26.[5]
Ugo Besozzi, head of Future Models, the Milan-based agency Kohle joined in January 2008, was quoted as saying, "Everyone said the same thing: At one point she said that she was going to smoke a cigarette. She opened the window and drastically took that decision. There was no warning and nobody could have done anything about it."[3]
Kohle's sister Bridget checked Hayley's e-mail account and could see the last message Hayley sent was one to her, just days before her death, which said she was very excited about good news she had received about a big modelling job.[2]
A memorial for Kohle was held on October 20 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Beausejour.[5]
Discussion
editSome have referred to her death as a case in a "series of tragedies" ongoing in the fashion industry at the time, along with the suicides of Ambrose Olsen, Daul Kim, Ruslana Korshunova, and Lina Marulanda, as well as Noemie Lenoir's suicide attempt.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Hayley Marie Kohle". Fashion Model Directory.
- ^ a b c d e "Manitoba model’s family grapples with alleged suicide in Italy" Archived November 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, October 18, 2008, Canada.com
- ^ a b "Manitoba model dies in Italy", October 17, 2008, CBC News
- ^ a b "Suicide suspected in Manitoba model's death: Agency" Archived May 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, October 17, 2008, Canada.com
- ^ a b "Manitoba model dies in Milan after balcony fall", October 16, 2008, CTV News
- ^ "Why are so many models attempting suicide? Lives of top catwalkers fraught with pressure: experts", May 18, 2010, NY Daily News or "Suicidal Models Are Fashion’s Worst Trend" Archived July 14, 2012, at archive.today, May 13, 2010, Jezebel
External links
edit- Hayley Marie Kohle at Fashion Model Directory
- Hayley Kohle at Panache Management
- Hayley Kohle at MOT Models
