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We Love Liz

As the world bids farewell to Elizabeth Taylor, Scout wishes to salute the screen idol and passionate humanitarian. Hollywood has lost a compelling actress and personality, and a true style icon.

With a career spanning 7 decades, gaining fame in 1944's National Velvet at age 12, to winning two Best actress Oscars for Butterfield 8 (1960) and Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), and along the way starring in such renowned films as A Place in the Sun, Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant, Raintree County, The Elephant Walk, and National Velvet.

At times though it seemed as if her personal life overshadowed her glamourous screen success – her tumultuous relationship with Richard Burton (they starred in 11 movies together and married twice) was paparazzi fodder, as were her other 6 marriages, her health problems, prescription drug addiction, and ballooning weight issues. But through it all, Ms Taylor remained a dignified and class act, respected and popular throughout the world.

When her friend and Giant co-star Rock Hudson died of AIDS in 1985, she was the first celebrity to use her fame to advocate for AIDS-related charities and fundraising, helping start the American Foundation for AIDS research (amfAR), and also creating her own AIDS foundation. To this day she has helped raise over $50 million to fight the disease.

Her well known passion for jewellery - both collecting and designing - as well as launching her own fragrances, made her a intelligent entrepreneur, leading the way for celebrities to do the same.

To say she was acknowledged in popular culture is an understatement: from Warhol's iconic prints, through to inspiring designers such as Valentino, Halston, Versace to Michael Kors. Interview magazine even devoted a whole issue to her in 2007, inviting other stars to pay tribute to the icon.

A great friend of Micheal Jackson, we can only wish that they are together in Neverland…

RIP LIZ, we love you x

Clinton Gorst