The Greatest Designers Who Were Also Drug Addicts

Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz recently told British Vogue about the pressures of his profession, saying, "You start to understand why some designers do strange things, why some designers talk to themselves, you have to find a way of dealing with it all." He continues, "I don't take drugs because if I did I'd love them—I'd be a junkie." Indeed, many of his peers haven't been so careful and turned to illegal drugs as, "a way of dealing with it all." Whether it's because of stress or because they're aggressive, creative personalities prone to experimentation surrounded by a culture of excess and enablement, designers have an unfortunate and marked tenancy to abuse drugs. Although some have overcome addiction to lead productive, clean lives, others weren't as fortunate. To give you an idea of the seriousness of the problem, here's just a few of the many talents who have learned that a little bit of fun can be far too much.