Fashion World Shaken by Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra's Sudden Death
The usually glitzy Montauk Yacht Club turned somber in the early hours of August 7, 2025. Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, the 33-year-old creative mind behind the acclaimed East by East swimwear brand, was found unresponsive on a yacht. While she was best known for her bold, Hampton-inspired bikini collections and for shaking up beachwear on both sides of the Atlantic, police are now picking apart the events leading up to her final moments.
Emergency services arrived just after midnight following a panicked call. The man on board, reportedly the first to find Martha, dialed 911 after realizing she was unconscious. Suffolk County police, supported by local East Hampton officers, rushed to the scene and launched immediate attempts to revive her, but efforts failed. Nolan-O'Slatarra was pronounced dead right there on the yacht, an ending far different from her sun-soaked seaside fashion launches in years past.
With the scene fresh in their minds, homicide detectives began piecing together clues. Suffolk County officials noted there was "no evidence of violence" when officers arrived. That means—at least for now—no obvious bruising, wounds, or struggle marks lent themselves to a clear cause. While rumors swirl, police are cautious not to jump to conclusions, especially in a community haunted by past high-profile crimes. The memory of financier Ted Ammon's murder in 2001 and a rash of violent park assaults in Montauk in 2019 still lingers. Every unexplained death recalls them, but so far, this one seems different—quieter, with no spectacle around the body.
Community Remembers and Police Search for Answers
The loss stings beyond law enforcement circles. Martha’s rise was the stuff young designers dream about. Born in Ireland, she landed stateside, blending seaside nostalgia and modern luxury to build East by East from nothing. Her Instagram presence was as bold as her designs—colorful, confident, and aspirational. The designer’s business partner took to social media to share a heartfelt tribute, calling her a visionary and a fearsome collaborator. Friends and fans echoed the shock, reflecting on the energetic, ambitious woman who saw beauty where others saw beach towels.
The Hamptons aren’t unused to media frenzies, but this case has people talking for new reasons. Safety in exclusive resorts and luxury settings, once assumed to be a given, looks less certain. Residents and regulars check their surroundings, remembering other cases that began as quiet mysteries and became something far darker. For some, Martha's death renews old worries about whether Montauk and its high-flying circles are as insulated from crime as the real estate brochures suggest.
Investigators are reportedly reviewing security footage, interviewing yacht crew, and checking Martha’s recent interactions, determined to sort coincidence from foul play. There’s acknowledgment that autopsy results and toxicology could shift everything, but until facts emerge, the absence of visible trauma raises hard questions. Did something medical go wrong? Could an accident explain it? Police aren’t closing any doors until evidence forces their hand.
Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra’s name was often linked to summer fun, style, and success out east. Now, her death turns a luxury hotspot into the center of a police investigation. The only thing clear is that her passing leaves a void far bigger than a missing swimsuit designer—it’s left everyone watching, waiting, and uneasy on the edge of the Hamptons.