Supermodel Tatjana Patitz - who shared the cover with Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford - has died aged 56

CelebrityGerman supermodel Tatjana Patitz has died in California at the age of 56. Her family announced the news Wednesday. Patitz belonged to the absolute top of the fashion world in the 80s and 90s and she graced countless magazine covers. She was also seen in the clip of the song “Freedom” by George Michael. An exact cause of her death has not been disclosed.

Patitz was born in 1966 in the German city of Hamburg and then moved to Sweden with her parents. At seventeen she got her breakthrough thanks to a modeling contest in Stockholm. Shortly thereafter she became the face of brands such as Versace and Chanel, doing numerous photo shoots. She has also become a banner for Vogue magazine, where she has been on the cover several times. Along with colleagues such as Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford, she was part of the select group of absolute supermodels. It is also with them that she can be seen in the world famous music video for George Michael’s song “Freedom”. Tatjana has also worked as a model in recent years. In 2019, for example, you showed in Milan for the Etro maison.

“Tatjana was the epitome of European class, a cross between Romy Schneider and Monica Vitti,” says Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of ‘Vogue’. “She may have been a little less in the spotlight than her peers, but that was just her charm about her. She was a bit mysterious and therefore more difficult to reach than the others.”

Steadfast in his shoes

The model has also worked closely with acclaimed photographer Peter Lindbergh. “I admire Tatyana because she always remains herself,” she wrote of her in her book ’10 Women’. “She’s very kind, but at the same time she’s firm and stands up for her opinion of her. Being with her was a huge enrichment. It’s impossible not to admire it.” Lindbergh took an iconic photo of Patitz in 1990, along with Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford. The shot made the cover of Vogue and the models were dubbed “the big five”.

Patitz is survived by one son, Jonah, from her failed marriage to Jason Johnson. Before that, she was in relationships with singer Seal, ‘James Bond’ actor Pierce Brosnan and singer Nick Kamen, among others.