She Was More Than 'Mick Jagger's Girlfriend'

In the wake of designer L'Wren Scott's apparent suicide, fans have pointed out a disturbing trend in some media coverage of her death. Lots of the headlines and articles emerging Monday referred to Scott primarily as Mick Jagger's girlfriend, as though the accomplished businesswoman and designer's romantic relationship was her most noteworthy achievement.

In fact, Scott made a respected name for herself in the fashion industry. After working as a model for major fashion houses, Scott became a stylist in the early 90s, then a costume designer for films including Diabolique (the 1996 version), Ocean's Thirteen, and Eyes Wide Shut. She launched her first clothing line in 2006 and went on to dress multiple celebrities and collaborate with other brands on cosmetic, handbag, and apparel collections. But much has been made of Scott's relationship with Jagger, which began in 2001 when Scott was working as a stylist on the documentary Shine a Light, about the Rolling Stones.

Since coverage of Scott's death began to emerge, Twitter users have criticized the press coverage for describing the designer in terms she once expressly stated she never wanted. Politics Radio host Slade Sohmer found and tweeted her quote:

Twitter user Kerin Rose Gold stated that identifying Scott primarily as Jagger's "girlfriend" only adds to the tragedy of the event, tweeting,

User Eliza Leoni seconded theat sentiment, writing,

Other users had similar feelings, some even commenting that Scott's life had been overshadowed by her relationship with Jagger. Many Twitter users cited BBC's description of the tragedy in particular.

Good to know that even as women become multi-million dollar players in the fashion industry, they are still being measured by the success of their significant others. L'Wren Scott life and death matter because she was a talented American designer and a human being, not because she was a famous guy's girlfriend.