Tatjana Patitz, one of the original elite ’90s supermodels, died of metastatic breast cancer at 56, Vogue reported on Wednesday.
“She is survived by her son, her sister, and her parents. We are all devastated by her passing,” Corinne Nicolas, Patitz’s agent, told People magazine. “She was compassionate soul, kind and generous of heart and an avid advocate of animal rights. One of the major causes she supported was the conservation of wild horses.”
The German model is known for being part of the ’90s supermodel clique — including Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, according to Vogue. She appeared in George Micheal’s music video “Freedom ’90” and on several notable magazine covers, such as “White Shirts: Six Supermodels, Malibu,” for Vogue in 1988.
“She was far less visible than her peers — more mysterious, more grown-up, more unattainable — and that had its own appeal,” said Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, per The Associated Press.
In 2019, Patitz walked her final runway show at Milan Fashion Week for Etro. Throughout her career, Patitz modeled on the runway for Chanel, Donna Karan, Vivienne Westwood and many others, per People magazine.
Patitz rose to fame during the late 1980s, but left her modeling career behind early on to focus on raising her son, Jonah.
Patitz was involved with the American Wild Horse Campaign, which protects wild lands. She said she enjoyed “being surrounded by nature, away from concrete and noise” and spending time with her son and animals, per CNN. And, according to Vogue, Patitz was an ambassador for the American Wild Horse Sanctuary.
What are people saying about Tatjana Patitz after her death?
Friends, colleagues and fans of Patitz used social media to honor the late supermodel.