Supermodel Tatjana Patitz has died at 56 years old, Vogue reported Wednesday.
An influential supermodel from the 1980s onwards, Patitz’s modeling career got its start in 1983, when she, at age 17, placed third in an Elite Model Contest in Stockholm, Sweden, Yahoo reported. She won a trip to Paris and a short modeling contract but her career did not take off until 1988, when Peter Lindbergh, a prominent photographer in the industry, began working with Patitz and photographed her for Vogue.
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
Patitz’s career skyrocketed and she is considered “the quietest and perhaps the most intense of the original supermodels” in the fashion industry, according to Vogue.
“Tatjana was always the European symbol of chic,” Global Editorial Director of Vogue Anna Wintour said. “She was far less visible than her peers—more mysterious, more grown-up, more unattainable—and that had its own appeal.”
The supermodel, unlike most models, lived a secluded California lifestyle. (RELATED: ‘You Can’t Model Forever’: Supermodel Opens Up About Imposter Syndrome, Career Plans)
Patitz is also known for her appearance in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video, where she is cast with four other models: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista.
Rest in peace Tatjana Patitz… This is so so sad… 56!!😞 #TatjanaPatitz pic.twitter.com/UPRsq6UktR
— Matt Hoy (@MattHoyOfficial) January 11, 2023
The late Patitz worked with leading fashion magazines and houses such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, and Donna Karan, Yahoo News reported.