Ruslana Korshunova, a 20-year-old model from Kazakhstan, leaped to her death from the ninth floor of her New York apartment last Saturday. As well as stalking the catwalks for many of the world's top designers, the blue-eyed beauty had also graced the covers of French Elle and Russian Vogue, as well as appearing in ads for DKNY and Christian Dior, among others. Circumstances surrounding the suicide remain uncertain. While those who know her say she was happy and apparently loved her Manhattan life, according to police there was no sign of a struggle inside her flat to indicate anyone else was involved. Although her death was ruled as suicide, the gossip mills are going into overdrive, with some online sources claiming darkly that she was depressed and desperate to get out of the fashion industry, while others even suggesting she was part of a Russian Mafia teenage model-trafficking ring.

Picture: Ruslana Korshunova