Fashion Designer Found Unconscious on Boat in Montauk Yacht Club Dies
No foul play is suspected in the death of Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra. The 33-year-old fashion entrepreneur, originally from Ireland, fell in love with Manhattan and was the founder of swimwear brand East x East.
| 11 Aug 2025 | 03:43
Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, who lived on the UES, was said to be planning a trip home to her native Ireland before she died. The 33-year-old fashion designer was found unconscious on board a boat at the tony Montauk Yacht Club in the early-morning hours of Aug. 5 and could not be revived. (
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Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra lived on the UES but summered on the East End. She was found unconscious on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on Aug. 5 and could not be revived. (
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Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra fell in love with New York after moving from Carlow, Ireland, and founded a high- end swimwear line with a partner, Dylan Grace. In the early-morning hours of Aug. 5 she was found unconscious on a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club and efforts to revive proved futile. She died on the dock. (
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Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, formed the high-end swimwear company East X East with business partner Dylan Grace. He posted a moving tribute to her on his Instagram account. (
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East X East, the company founded by Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra with Dylan Grace in 2020, sold high-end swimwear. Originally from Ireland, she lived on the UES but spent most of the summer in the Hamptons and Montauk. (
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Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, a 33-year-old fashion entrepreneur from the Upper East Side, was found unconscious aboard a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club in the early morning hours of Aug. 5. Despite attempts at CPR by Good Samaritans, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A preliminary autopsy revealed “no signs of violence,” according to Suffolk County Police, leading authorities to state that foul play is not currently suspected. However, an investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad is ongoing, and an autopsy conducted by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause of death.
Nolan-O’Slatarra, originally from Carlow, Ireland, moved to New York to chase her dream in fashion. In 2020 she founded East x East, a swimwear and resortwear label celebrated for its vibrant colors and coastal-inspired designs. Highly active on social media, she frequently showcased her collections to a growing audience. She had a pop-up store in Montauk showcasing her wares this summer.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she held various other positions listed as active. Nolan-O’Slatarra founded Duper, worked as director of operations for K4 Capital Management, and served as CEO of Brand Growth Consultants, per East Side Feed.
Her business partner in East X East, Dylan Grace, released a moving tribute on Aug. 6. “We dreamed big together, laughed harder than anyone else could understand, and built so much from nothing,” Grace wrote on his Instagram account. “I’m truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life. Love you so much Mar. Fly high girl.”
Her mother, Elma Nolan, in Carlow, said she learned of her daughter’s death on Tuesday but is struggling to get more information.
She last spoke with her daughter about a week before her death about her daughter’s upcoming plans to travel back to Carlow.
“She wanted to know if I would be around to pick her up,” according to People, which quoted “an Irish news outlet.”
“It was a very quick call because she is so busy,” she said.
But she said beyond her daughter’s death, she has no other information. “I don’t know what happened to my daughter,” she reportedly told the outlet.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad at (631) 852-6392.
“I don’t know what happened to my daughter.” — Elma Nolan, mother of the late Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra