Alla Verber’s Cause of Death: How Did the Russian Fashion Icon Die?

Russian fashion industry icon Alla Verber (алла вербер) has died. Her death comes as a shock to people who admired and respected her, since she seemed to be in great health and had just posted on Instagram a couple days earlier. Here are the details about Verber and her cause of death.

Verber Died of Anaphylactic Shock, According to Early Reports

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Alla Verber’s cause of death was anaphylactic shock, according to early reports from Gazeta.ru. Sources have said that she tried seafood dishes for dinner and had an allergic reaction. She fought for her life for one to two days before dying at the age of 61. The anaphylactic shock caused sepsis, which led to organ failure and a heart attack, UA.news reported.

Ksenia Sobchak, author of Caution Sobchak, told Gazeta.ru that Verber had initially been hospitalized for blood poisoning. This was confirmed by WomanHit.ru, who reported that she became ill on August 5 and was diagnosed with sepsis.

Her Health Had Already been Compromised by Pneumonia

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Verber’s immune system was already weakened by pneumonia, Gazeta.ru reported. She had been on bed rest and was still working and hadn’t shared her diagnosis.

She Was in Italy on Vacation When She Died

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Verber was in Italy on vacation when she died, UA.news reported.

Central Department Store officially confirmed her shocking death. A translated statement reads: “With deep sorrow, we are reporting that Allcury’s vice president and fashion director of TSUM and DLT have passed away.”

She Was an Icon in the Russia Fashion Industry

Verber was an icon in the Russia fashion industry. Even while Russia was facing a shaky economy, she was able to grow Russia’s oldest department store, SCMP reported. In November 2017 she had just helped the store celebrate its 110th anniversary. The store found a newfound future when it started adjusting its prices to match European prices a few years earlier, South China Morning Post reported.

Verber said about herself: “I’m very fashion forward. I’ve been doing this all my life.”

She told South China Morning Post: “When I first came here in 2002, Tsum was already famous. It was Russia’s first department store, opened in the 18th century, but it was not fashionable at all. It was nothing like this, just these very boring Soviet, or sometimes Chinese, products… All the big brands entered because of me.”

She modernized the store and made it a hub for fashion.

She worked for 25 years at Mercury Group and another 15+ at Tsum, after Mercury bought Tsum, UA.news reported.

She Once Said She Could Feel Which Brands Would Be Popular Before They Gained Traction

She told SCMP that she could feel which brands would become popular a year or so before they gained traction.

“I still follow all the brands, big or small,” she said. “Whoever is new, I’m there. I feel it a year before the brand starts to really gain traction – my job is to have this feeling much in advance.”

Verber has been called the most powerful woman in Russian fashion, Business of Fashion reported. She will be greatly missed.