Fashion designer Richard Nicoll found dead in Sydney at 39

Fashion designer Richard Nicoll has died in Australia at the age of 39.

Nicoll's body was found at a property in Sydney, and New South Wales police said his death is not suspicious.

News reports on Friday said he may have suffered a heart attack.

British-born Nicoll designed collections for Fred Perry and Topshop among others, and had his own brand for about a decade.

His clothes have been worn by celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Julianne Moore.

Singer Lily Allen said she was "really sad" and that she was "privileged to have known him and to have worn many of his beautiful creations".

Former Spice Girls star Emma Bunton said: "Such sad news about Richard Nicoll, I met him way back when he was at Central Saint Martins, a beautiful soul. Thinking of his loved ones."

His death was mourned in the fashion industry, with British Vogue's deputy editor Emily Sheffield, the sister of Samantha Cameron, tweeting: "Shocked and saddened by news of Richard Nicoll's death; literally one of the nicest men in fashion. A tragic cutting short of a life."

Born in London, Nicoll was raised in Perth, Australia.

He returned to London to gain an MA in Womenswear at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

He got his big break when his 2002 graduate collection was bought by Dolce & Gabbana.

In 2005 he launched his eponymous fashion label, and became a regular fixture at the London Fashion Week for about a decade before closing it down.

During his career, Nicoll also worked for Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton and for Jack Wills, and served as creative director of Cerruti.

He won the British Fashion Council's Fashion Forward Award in 2006 and was named the Best Young Designer at the Elle Style Awards in 2009.