who rose to stardom in the 1980s and 1990s and went on to appear on several fashion magazine covers during her 40-year career, has passed away. She was 56 years old.
Patitz’s death was confirmed by her agent, Corinne Nicolas, who said the cause was illness. Further details have not been disclosed.
The legendary supermodel was well recognized for her work in Vogue. She also appeared with Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video.
Supermodel Tatjana Patitz, who appeared in the Freedom ’90 video and on many Vogue covers, has died. She was 56. https://t.co/6H8ONJxcw2
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) January 11, 2023
Fans are paying tribute to the supermodel. One user tweeted and wrote: ” Otherworldly beauty. one of my favorites so sorry to hear this terrible news. Condolences to family and friends.”
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Tatjana Patitz, a long-time friend of Peter’s.
We would like to salute Tatjana’s kindness, inner beauty and outstanding intelligence.
Our thoughts go to her loved ones and particularly Jonah. She will be immensely missed. https://t.co/VGjAhLyC2C— Peter Lindbergh Foundation (@peterlindbergh) January 11, 2023
Described by the fashion magazine as “the quietest and perhaps the most intense of the original supermodels,” Patitz didn’t follow the other ambitious models of her era to Paris or New York. Instead, she found comfort in California’s natural beauty and determined never to sell her soul to a corporation.
In a 2009 interview with the Guardian, she said:
“There were glamorous moments, but it was exhausting. The low points were having to travel so much and being exhausted. I always thought that [fashion and modeling] wasn’t who I was; it was what I did. It didn’t define me. Living out here and coming back to this place was like a sigh of relief in a sense.”
Patitz is survived by her 19-year-old son Jonah.
