Tatjana Patitz, the popular German model and actress, died of breast cancer in Santa Barbara, California Wednesday. The tragic news sent a wave of shock and grief among her fans, many of whom shared their tributes to her and condolatory messages for her loved ones. Tatjana was just 56, but despite dying at such a young age, she left behind an enviable legacy — more than five successful decades in fashion and public life. She was one of the top supermodels of the 1980s and 1990s and stayed in the limelight even after due to her enduring public image. Apart from her career in showbiz, Tatjana was also a proponent of several causes. She used her fame and clout to campaign for causes and talk about issues related to the environment and animal rights.
Here is everything you need to know about her:
How did Tatjana Patitz die?
As mentioned already, she was suffering from breast cancer. Her agent Corinne Nicolas told Insider, “Tatiana passed away this morning in California. The cause of death was breast cancer.” The agent added that Patitz is survived by her son, her sister, and her parents.
Where was she from?
Natively, she was a German. She was born in Hamburg but was raised in a Swedish town called Skanör. Her father, a travel journalist, was a German and her mother, a dancer, was from Estonia.
How did she become a model?
In 1983, when she was just 17, she took part in the Elite Model Look competition and was deemed the third best. She was awarded a contract and began working as a model in Paris. In the mid-1980s she appeared on the cover of British Vogue, her first breakthrough. Her success in Europe brought her to New York. She then worked for the American edition of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
What was her reputation as a model?
As Patitz’s career continued to rise, she was praised not just for her style quotient and beauty but was also deemed one of the original supermodels. Her photographer Peter Lindberg, with whom she will have a fruitful three-decade collaboration, once wrote about her, “I admire Tatjana because she always stays herself. She’s very soft, but at the same time she’s very strong and knows how to stand up for what she thinks, and it’s always very enriching to be with her. It’s impossible not to admire her and over the years not to be just a little bit in love with her.”
Another photographer Herb Ritts said, “Her features are a bit off; she’s not a typical, commercial beauty, but when I shoot her, I’m never bored. Her looks have power, strength, intensity.”
Further success
By the 1990s began, Patitz was one of the world’s top models. She was gracing the covers of several magazines, including the US and the UK Vogue. She had become one of the supermodels who was not styling themselves as per male fantasies or fashion experts but were making their own statements through their style and body choices.
In 1990, she appeared in a music video for British singer-songwriter George Michael’s song ‘Freedom! ’90’. Interestingly, the video was directed by David Fincher, the future legend who would go on to direct ‘Alien 3’ and ‘Seven’ in the next few years. Along with other fellow supermodels, Patitz lip-synced the song’s lyrics. Michael himself was not part of the video. The song and the music video are remembered as one of the 1990s’ best and further gained Patitz fame.
Body image
As noted above, Patitz did not mind imperfections (or features that society deems imperfect) in her modelling. She introduced her own standards of beauty to her work. “I am proud of my wrinkles. I worked for each one and they belong to me. Growing older is beautiful. You become wiser and more mature. For me, giving away or changing that gift is not an option…Beauty means being a good person and being there for others. In my opinion, beauty is not only about looks, but everything that makes up a person,” she once said.
