(CNN) — Tatjana Patitz, who rose to fashion fame in the 1990s as an animal-loving supermodel with piercing eyes, has died, her agent confirmed to CNN. She was 56 years old.
Patitz died Wednesday of breast cancer, her agent, Corinne Nicolas, told CNN. He is survived by his son, Jonah.
The German-born model graced dozens of covers of Vogue and countless other fashion magazines beginning in the 1980s. Her most famous cover, which she shared with other supermodels of her generation, inspired George Michael to cast her for his music video. of “Freedom! ’90”.
While the other supermodels of her day were known for commanding the public spotlight, Patitz preferred a quieter life surrounded by nature, particularly wild horses and the western lands in which they lived. Still, he was impossibly chic, effortlessly said Anna WintourVogue’s global editorial director, in a statement to the magazine.
“Tatjana was always the European symbol of elegance, like a Romy Schneider-Monica Vitti combination,” she said.
