Stars we lost in 2023: supermodel Tatjana Patitz, 56

Supermodel Tatjana Patitz passed away at the age of 56 in January 2023. Born in Hamburg in 1966, with Estonian and German roots, she is considered one of the most important models of the 80s and 90s.

A representative of the family confirmed that the cause of death was metastatic breast cancer.

In January 1990, British Vogue published a now-famous cover with the promising models of the new decade. Tatjana Patitz was one of them.

Image: Vogue

In fact, Patitz would be on the cover of Vogue countless times. The magazine describes her as "the most intense of the original supermodels."

At the age of 17, Tatjana entered an Elite Agency contest that would end up changing her life.

In the photo, she stands next to Helena Christensen.

The competition was held in Stockholm and Tatjana Patitz finished third. It was enough for the agency to recognize her talent and give her the opportunity to start working in Paris.

In the French capital, she began her career with major brands and designers, reaching the top immediately.

In the photo, she sits next to Alyson Le Borges.

Her elegance and seductive gaze became the trademark of firms such as Donna Karan, Revlon, Ralph Lauren, Versace, and Valentino, among others.

Despite being at the level of supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz opted for a quieter life. She soon moved away from the media spotlights.

In fact, Tatjana Patitz's day-to-day life took place in California, where she could be surrounded by animals and nature, two of her great passions. Another passion was her son, Jonah Patitz, next to her in the photo.

Despite her distance from the big fashion hubs, Tatjana Patitz continued to be a representative of the top model phenomenon in the early 90s. She was one of the models in the legendary 'white shirts' photo by Peter Lindbergh.

Her presence in 'Freedom', George Michael's video clip, where she shared the spotlight with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford, also made it clear that she belonged to fashion royalty.

Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue, defined Tatjana Patitz as a "European symbol of elegance."

Tatjana Patitz "was far less visible than her peers—more mysterious, more grown-up, more unattainable—and that had its own appeal," Wintour said.

In the photo, Patitz stands next to the singer Seal, with whom she had a relationship in the 90s.

At the turn of the century, Tatjana Patitz stopped appearing on the catwalks, although she continued to work in the fashion world. In fact, in 2019, she even returned to the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week.

In an interview with 'Prestige Hong Kong' in 2006, Tatana explained the reasons for her withdrawal from the spotlights. She said that there had been a 'real era' of supermodels but that, nowadays, celebrities and actresses were more dominant and that the models had taken a back seat. From a distance, she saw things clearly.