Michele Savoia, a fashion designer who was did the costumes for a number of Broadway hits, was found dead in the Hudson River on Sunday. He was 55.

Michele Savoia Found Dead

Savoia, who was last seen at Marquee Nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning, is believed to have slipped into the freezing waters off Chelsea Piers while trying to board his boat, according to police. An official cause of death has yet to be determined.

“It’s icy, snowy and windy. And the water was really, really rough,” Savoia’s surviving girlfriend Juliane Berg told the New York Daily News of the conditions near the designer’s yacht. Berg, who knew something was wrong when Savoia stood her up for Valentine’s Day, added, “He seemed so invincible. It shouldn’t have ended like this for him. It is so tragic.”

Though Savoia was not a major name in the fashion world, he was known and respected for his niche in 1930s and 1940s designs. Mainstays of his looks were flashy vests, fedoras, wide-legged pants and jackets with wide lapels, according to The New York Times.

“I should be living in 1937; everything was sexy, seductive, beautiful,” he told fashion blog Stylelikeu.com in 2011. “You knew where you were.”

During his career, Savoia designed for some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Tom Hanks for his turn as Mike McAlaray in Lucky Guy and Robert DeNiro, reported the News. He also worked with Mickey Rourke, Chris Noth and Ricky Martin, when the singer starred in Evita.

– Chelsea Regan

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