The fashion icon Isabella Blow ended her life by drinking the deadly weedkiller paraquat, a coroner revealed today .

Mrs Blow collapsed at her country home in Gloucestershire after telling weekend house guests who included the royal milliner Philip Treacy whose hats she helped make famous that she was going shopping. She died in hospital on Monday at the age of 48.

Initially it was suggested that Mrs Blow had died of cancer. But at the opening of the inquest into her death today the deputy Gloucestershire coroner David Dooley said that tests on her body had tested positive for paraquat. Further toxicological tests are to be undertaken before a full inquest is held in October.

He said: “Mrs Blow had been taken to hospital on Saturday 5th May having been found in a poorly state by her sister. In hospital she told doctors she had taken paraquat and tests proved positive for this liquid.

“The initial cause of death was given by the pathologist, Professor Neil Shepherd, as death from the effects of a drug overdose. I have queried this with the Professor and he says that is the right way of describing the pharmacological effect of any chemical on the body.”

Mr Dooley was opening the inquest into the death of Mrs Blow and heard evidence of identification and post mortem findings before adjourning until October 24.

Coroner’s officer Terry Onions told the hearing that he went to the hospital mortuary where the body of Mrs Blow was formally identified to him by Julian Patrick Jones, a neighbour and friend for the last 12 years. Deputy coroner Dooley said he was satisfied her body had been correctly identified.

Mrs Blow, who had recently learnt she was suffering from ovarian cancer, had made at least two suicide attempts in the past, once by throwing herself from the Hammersmith flyover in West London which left her with serious leg injuries.

On the weekend of her death she was hosting a small party at her Cotswolds mansion and house guests included Mr Treacy and his partner Stefan.

Mrs Blow was as famous for her colourful life as her passion for hats and blood red lipstick. She was a stylist who was once described as of the 20 most influential people in fashion.

She was the grand daughter of Sir Jock Delves Broughton who in the 1940s had been tried and acquitted for the murder of Earl of Errol in Kenya. He later killed himself. The story was made into the 1988 film White Mischief starring Greta Scacchi and Charles Dance.

She was married to the barrister Detmar Blow whose father also committed suicide by drinking paraquat.

Aged four, Isabella witnessed the death of her two year old brother John who drowned in the family swimming pool.

She married her husband Detmar Blow at Gloucester Cathedral in 1989 after a whirlwind romance.

She worked as a style editor and fashion director for, among others, Vogue, Tatler and The Sunday Times. She renowned as a talent spotter and was credited with helping launch the careers of Mr Treacy, Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald.

Mrs Blow’s funeral will be held next Tuesday in Gloucester Cathedral where she was married in 1989.

Times recommends

• McDonald’s: the world’s local restaurant
• Help me to be a mum: a foyer to fulfilment
• A life online: God likes a laugh