MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian couturier Valentin Yudashkin said on Thursday he was shocked by the death of his British colleague, prominent fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

McQueen, 40, committed suicide in his London house on Thursday.

"The news about the death of the young designer just shocked me," Yudashkin said.

He described his British colleague as the brightest star of British fashion of the 1990s.

"McQueen is an iconic figure of avant-garde fashion, and it is very sad that the fashion world lost such a talented artist and a very bright personality," Yudashkin said.

McQueen's death came eight days after the death of his mother, Joyce.

The designer was propelled to stardom by fashion editor Isabella Blow, who took her own life three years ago.