NYC ME: More tests needed for NY fashion designer

Associated Press
This undated photo provided by the New York City Police Department on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, shows fashion designer Michele Savoia. Police say Savoia’s body was discovered off Chelsea Piers, Sunday, Feb. 16, not far from where he lived aboard his boat. The cause of death has not yet been determined. (AP Photo/New York City Police Department)

NEW YORK (AP) — A designer who did costumes for such Broadway shows as "Swing," ''Promises, Promises" and "Evita" died after he apparently fell into the Hudson River while trying to board his boat in Manhattan, police said.

The New York City medical examiner's office said Monday that more tests are needed to pinpoint the cause of 55-year-old Michele Savoia's death.

Police divers recovered his body in the icy waters off Chelsea Piers on Sunday afternoon. He was last seen leaving the Marquee nightclub around 4 a.m. Thursday, police said.

The New York Times reported that Savoia — though not widely known in the fashion world — enjoyed a following among fellow aficionados of the stylish 1930s and '40s. The New York Police Department issued a photo that showed Savoia posing in a big fur coat, rakish hat, black vest and pinstriped pants.

The Daily News reported that Savoia's client list included Robert DeNiro, Mickey Rourke and Chris Noth. He designed costumes for the "Evita" revival starring Ricky Martin.

"He could at times be a wild man," said a close friend, Kevin James Dalton. "You never knew what he was going to do. He'd always surprise you."