Tatjana Patitz will be remembered by her fellow supermodels after her death at the age of 56. (Photo: Portal/Christian Charisius)
One of the world’s most famous supermodels of the ’80s and ’90s, Tatjana Patitz is remembered by her peers including Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell following her death at the age of 56.
Patitz’ longtime agent Corinne Nicolas announced the news on Wednesday. She dubbed the German-born, Swedish-raised catwalker and fashion magazine cover girl — who starred in George Michael’s Freedom! 90″ video was one of the legendary models – as “an extraordinary beauty” and “an extraordinary person”.
Tatjana Patitz walks the runway at the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 1991-1992 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week. (Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Nicolas said the cause of death was illness but gave no further details.
Patitz, who died in the Santa Barbara, California area, was survived by a 19-year-old son, Jonah. Mother and son recently appeared together on the red carpet at an event in Germany on October 5th.
Tatjana Patitz and Jonah Patitz attend Tribute to Bambi 2022 at Hotel Berlin Central District on October 5, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo: Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)
The news drew immediate social media reactions from those within this tight-knit group of original supermodels who dominated the industry during the period.
Crawford, who shared an old model photo of them, recalled they were “babies” in the industry who “grew up together” as they navigated shoots and shows. “I found her soft-spoken, sensitive, kind, curious and who could ever forget those piercing eyes,” the 56-year-old wrote. She sent “her condolences to her family — particularly the son she adored.”
Campbell, 52, recalled meeting Patitz when she was 16. She said it was her first time visiting LA and that Patitz drove her around in her red Volkswagen convertible. She called her late friend an “earth angel” who was “kind, generous, shy” and loved animals “sometimes more than people.” She said she has “a divine energy that we’ve all been drawn to.”
Claudia Schiffer, 52, called her a “true member of the supermodel gang.” She said it’s always a “joy” to work with her as someone who is “down to earth but always elevated.”
Christy Turlington Burns, 54, said Patitz “to me embodied European sophistication and European style” when they met in 1985 and smoked cigarettes. She said she learned so much from her friend, who was “always a vision” and “glamorous, sophisticated and warm as soon as she let you in.” I could have watched her smoke and spoke in one of the many languages she is fluent in throughout the day. Who had to work? I learned in real time how an international woman behaves and moves in the world.”
The story goes on
Paulina Porizkova, 57, recalls they worked together but only met 30 years later when they chatted all night and shared their most intimate secrets. She said she “met this beautiful woman, felt her fragility and her full heart. Her love for animals, her horses and dogs, nature and art (yes, she painted) and most of all her love for her little son. It was a deep dive into our souls from which I walked out filled with genuine affection, tenderness and respect for her.
Stephanie Seymour, 54, wrote: “There is no word that describes Tatiana more than ethereal.”
Helena Christensen, 54, remembered her boyfriend as “a divine spirit”. She said she was “grateful we stayed in touch to the end” and appreciated her text messages about the outdoors. “I hope you ride a horse through endless meadows with that smile on your face and the wind blowing through your hair,” Christensen wrote.
Here are some more tributes by Milla Jovovich, Elaine Irwin, Shalom Harlow, Niki Taylor, and Frederique van der Wal:
Shalom Harlow wrote on her Instagram Stories that Patitz’s “deep, penetrating gaze” will always be with her.