She was born in Brunei, on the island of Borneo, the daughter of Pamela and Roy Brampton; her father was a manager for oil firm Shell.

[1][4] Brampton was appointed the first editor of the British edition of the French magazine Elle which published its first issue in November 1985.

"[2] It was aimed at professional women with an interest in fashion and shopping, rather than emotions and personal relationship concerns of other titles.

The writers Jeanette Winterson, Julie Burchill and Tony Parsons were among those who contributed to Elle under Brampton's stewardship.

[2][5] After clashes with the publisher of the magazine, Hachette, Brampton left the company in 1989 to develop her career as a novelist and freelance writer.

The journalist Simon Garfield, writing for The Observer commented that "her story is compelling and unflinching and she makes no claims that her descent and slow recovery will match those of others".

Her second marriage was to the television producer and executive Jonathan Powell in 1990; the couple had a daughter, Molly, who now works in publishing.

[12] A letter from Brampton's psychiatrist, dated from 18 March 2016, stated that she was "in crisis" and that she had "disengaged" from local services and had "painted a very jaundiced view of them".

[14] The editor-in-chief of Elle at the time Brampton died, Lorraine Candy, wrote on the magazine's website that the magazine Brampton developed was a "breath of fresh air, mixing high street with high end, having a brave and sometimes contrary opinion, questioning the norm and championing new thinkers.