Fashion
Sophie Kinsella, the Shopaholic series’ bestselling author, dies aged 55
By
Ansa
Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
December 11, 2025
Sophie Kinsella, the highly popular British author whose bestselling novels have been translated the world over, notably the Shopaholic series, died just before her 56th birthday from a brain tumour she had been diagnosed with in late 2022.
Kinsella faced her condition with great courage, and described her experience in her last book, published in 2024, poignantly entitled What Does It Feel Like?
“We are heartbroken to announce the death this morning of our beloved Sophie (alias Maddy, alias Mummy),” posted Kinsella’s family, her husband Henry Wickham and their five children, as they gave the news of the author’s passing. “Despite her illness, which she endured with unimaginable courage, Sophie considered herself very fortunate to have such a wonderful family and friends, and to have had an extraordinarily successful writing career. She took nothing for granted and has always been grateful for the love she received,” the family added.
Kinsella, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Townley, would have turned 56 in two days’ time and, as her family pointed out, she and her loved ones tried to make the most of their final days together. Kinsella, whose books sold 50 million copies and have defined chick lit as a genre, revealed her health problems to her many readers last year. She was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, and underwent surgery as well as several rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
“I didn’t reveal this earlier because I wanted to make sure my children were able to hear and process the news privately, adapting to our new normal,” she told her community of fans. Many of them, upon learning of the author’s death, paid tribute to her on social media.
The search for positive meaning despite a traumatic illness was at the heart of Kinsella’s last novel, in which the protagonist, a famous writer called Eve, begins to gather the memories of what really matters to her: long walks holding her husband’s hand, evenings spent playing parlour games with her family, and the treat of buying a dress she likes. The novel is made up of short chapters, each attempting to answer the most difficult issues shared by those navigating the labyrinth of pain. The book was also a way of staying close to those dealing with cancer, as Kinsella herself did in some of her statements after she revealed her illness.
Kinsella was born in the London suburb of Wandsworth on December 12, 1970. She graduated in PPE at Oxford University and briefly worked as a finance journalist before starting to write romance novels aged 24. She gained global fame – after publishing a few well-liked novels under her real name – with The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, published in 2000 as Sophie Kinsella, soon followed by Shopaholic Abroad. Then came another eight titles in the Shopaholic series and 13 standalone novels, from Can You Keep a Secret? (2003) to The Burnout (2023) and What Does It Feel Like? (2024), as well as a handful of young adult novels. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into the film Confessions of a Shopaholic, released in February 2009 with Isla Fisher in the title role.
In 1991, Kinsella married Henry Wickham, whom she had met at Oxford. Together they had five children, and lived between Dorset and London, where she was treated.
Copyright © 2025 ANSA. All rights reserved.
Published
December 11, 2025
On the occasion of the Contrastes programme, presented from December 1 to 31, 2025 at the Opéra national de Paris, Alainpaul unveils its first collaboration with choreographers Imre and Marne van Opstal. Their new piece, Drift Wood, offers an ideal canvas for exploring the relationship between body, material, and narrative, a space where costumes become integral to movement.
Inspired by the image of driftwood, shaped by time and carried by the currents, Alainpaul’s costumes give physical form to the tension at the heart of the piece: that which both opposes and binds conscious humanity to instinctive nature. Poised between fragility and resistance, the silhouettes move like a second skin, moulding to the dancers’ movements. This focus on texture and construction renders, in visual terms, the contradictions that course through Drift Wood, where bodies oscillate between self-control and impulse.
“A moment of fulfilment”
Conceived as a poetic diorama, the piece unfolds within a landscape shaped by the elements: sound, image, and movement interweave to explore vulnerability, connection, and ambiguity. In this floating world, the costumes play a central role. Rooted in Alainpaul’s signature sculptural clarity and fluidity, they amplify the emotional language imagined by the Van Opstal duo. For the house, this collaboration marks a powerful return to the stage, where clothing reconnects with its primary origin: gesture.
“Collaborating with Imre and Marne, as well as with the Opéra national de Paris’s exceptional atelier, was an immense honour,” said Alain Paul, the house’s founder. “These are the first Alainpaul costumes created for a contemporary ballet, and we are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us for Drift Wood. We have forged a genuine dialogue between movement and the construction of the costumes. Having grown up in the world of dance, this project represents a moment of fulfilment and a profound way of uniting my two worlds.”
Alainpaul, a brand inspired by choreography
This creation forms part of Contrastes, a programme that brings together three choreographic worlds: two major works by Trisha Brown, the entry into the repertoire of David Dawson’s Anima Animus, and Drift Wood, the Van Opstals’ first piece for the Paris Opera. Together, these works explore the tensions and oppositions running through dance today, from minimalist radicalism to sculptural power.
Founded on a choreographic approach to clothing, the house Alainpaul has, from the outset, drawn on the vocabulary of choreographers such as Pina Bausch and Merce Cunningham. Its pieces, with their experimental lines and sculptural silhouettes, reinterpret the dancer’s wardrobe within a timeless, urban aesthetic. With Drift Wood, this ambition takes on a new dimension: that of a garment fully animated by movement.
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Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Amelia Gray, Anitta, Emily Ratajkowski, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Bel Priestley, Alton Mason and Kiara Nirghin were all in attendance, dressed in looks from the upcoming collection.
Celebrities including Amelia Gray, Anitta, Emily Ratajkowski, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Bel Priestley, Alton Mason and Kiara Nirghin showcased looks from the upcoming Stella McCartney x H&M collection in London.
The designs drew on McCartney’s archive, with 00s-inspired lace, sparkle and sculptural silhouettes, celebrating her sustainable, joyful design codes.
The collection celebrates McCartney’s design DNA, with signature styles and house codes pulled from chapters in the story of her brand. The archive mood informed the red-carpet looks, with various pieces nodding to McCartney’s 00s signatures, including lace and sparkles.
Emily Ratajkowski wore black mini dress with draped cape detailing across the shoulders. Amelia Gray wore a sparkly lace and crystal-effect mini dress in beige. Anitta wore a custom-made twist on an upcoming collection item: a floor-length red gown with a stunning looping silhouette that connects shoulder to hemline.
“It was an honour to wear this amazing look and give people a sneak peek of the Stella McCartney H&M collection. I felt amazing in red. This feels like another perfect match, between two very beloved brands.”– Anitta.
“London, Stella’s home city, is the perfect place to give people a first glimpse of what’s to come in the Stella McCartney H&M collection. Stella’s designs have changed the course of fashion history: they championed sustainable practices long before that conversation became mainstream. Her work is always joyful, playful, energetic.” – Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M.
The Stella McCartney H&M collection will launch in stores and online in spring 2026.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
The Cotton Association of India (CAI) said the industry is passing through one of its worst phases, with high domestic cotton prices preventing Indian mills from benefitting from free trade agreements (FTAs) with partner countries.
India’s cotton trade body has urged the government to permanently remove the 11 per cent import duty on raw cotton, warning that high MSP, low productivity and elevated domestic prices are eroding mill competitiveness and hurting exports.
CAI said duty restoration after December 2025 could worsen unemployment, bad debts and industry stress.
High MSP, low domestic productivity and elevated input costs have made Indian cotton significantly more expensive than global prices. As a result, mills are unable to compete with international suppliers, while spinners and fabric manufacturers face continuous margin pressure. The 11 per cent duty, introduced during COVID-19, has outlived its purpose and is now distorting the market, the CAI said in a press release.
CAI warned that the industry’s distress has also begun affecting cotton traders and ginners, with delayed payments and rising bad debts across the value chain. The association noted that the only sustainable solution is to ensure the availability of competitively priced raw cotton, which requires urgent duty removal.
The press release further stated that India’s textile exports are suffering due to global recessionary conditions and uncertainty in Europe. CAI said that if raw cotton imports become costlier after December 2025, unemployment, loan defaults and financial stress across mills could intensify.
The association also linked duty removal to policy goals, noting that the Textile Ministry’s target of achieving $100 billion in textile and apparel exports by 2030 will only be feasible if mills receive raw material at competitive rates. It added that India historically had zero import duty on cotton with no adverse impact on farmers.
CAI cited abnormal seasonal rains this year, which damaged cotton quality and forced mills to depend more heavily on imports. If the duty is not removed permanently, the association cautioned that buyers may shift to rival manufacturing hubs such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other markets—leading to a long-term loss of India’s global market share.
CAI president Vinay N Kotak urged the government to intervene immediately, stating that permanent removal of the 11 per cent duty is critical for the survival of the entire cotton and textile value chain. The association concluded that only with competitive raw cotton can India fully utilise FTAs, attract global orders and strengthen its position in the textile supply chain.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
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