Tatjana Patitz, an incredibly beautiful German woman from the legendary five supermodels of the 90s, has died at the age of 56 from breast cancer.
The fashion world has lost another icon – the great German-born model Tatjana Patitz. The peak of her popularity came in the eighties and nineties of the last century, she was distinguished by her modest character and alluring beauty, and she got into the fashion industry by accident.
The girl was born in Germany, in Hamburg, in the family of a journalist and a dancer. At an early age, she moved with her parents to Switzerland, where she learned to ride horses, which became her main passion in her life. As Patitz later admitted, riding gave her freedom and happiness. At the age of seventeen, young Tatyana took part in the Elite Model’s Image of the Year modeling competition and became a finalist, taking third place. She won the contract and flew off to conquer the city of fashion and love – Paris. Two years later, in 1985, the celebrity appeared on her first major cover of British Vogue.
At the same time, she began working with one of the main fashion photographers, Peter Lindberg, with whom cooperation continued for many years. Patitz was his muse: “I admire Tatyana because she always remains herself. She is very soft but at the same time very strong and knows how to stand up for what she thinks and being with her is always very rewarding. It is impossible not to admire her and for many years not to be at least a little in love with her. Famous writers, critics, and photographers could not pass by the beauty of the supermodel – she was so unusual, exotic, and alluring.
Patitz’s natural talent and outstanding photography brought Patitz to New York, where the celebrity met the most talented people in the fashion industry – with them she created the best shots that we are reviewing with bated breath now. In the late eighties, Tatyana met another significant photographer, with whom she was ready to transform into a mermaid, an elf, a surfer, and a superstar.
Patitz inspired many women – her style, demeanor, and walk were different from other supermodels. She often experimented with her appearance: she curled long dark curls, which she then dyed blond and cut off. No matter how much Tatyana regrets the short haircut, it was she who brought her the best work in her career. In 1989, French hairdresser Didier Malige changed the star once and for all, turning her curls into a daring bob for the shooting of “Earth Forces” for British Vogue. Patitz mourned her hair for several months, but with this hairstyle, even more, attention began to be paid to her.
And now Tatjana Patitz makes covers for the main fashion publication – American Vogue. Then, and even today, it spoke of the highest level and worldwide recognition of the girl. In the late eighties, she was named the first German supermodel, a new title that brought with it continuous work. Patitz made over forty business flights a month, so she soon made the decision to land. She moved to Los Angeles and devoted her free time to meditation, creativity, and self-development.
She has appeared on more than 200 covers of glossy magazines, appeared at shows of the most famous brands, and became the face of many advertising campaigns. Tatjana Patitz changed beauty standards and was an ideal for both men and women.
In the 2000s, she continued to engage in fashion but added one more thing to her favorite business – the fight for animal rights and the conservation of nature. In 2004, Tatyana gave birth to a son, with whom she starred for magazines. With him, she soon moved to a ranch where there were horses and where she felt truly free. Patitz stopped appearing on the runways, making an exception for the Hermes Jean-Paul Gaultier show in 2009 and the autumn-winter 2019 Etro collection. Even then, it became known about a serious disease with which Tatjana Patitz fought and from which Tatjana Patitz died in 2023 – breast cancer .
She changed not only the world of fashion, but also the souls of everyone involved in it: photographers, designers, makeup artists and fans. There has always been a certain secret in the supermodel, which everyone who has ever approached her has sought to unravel. Tatjana Patits was an incredible woman with a kind heart who believed that the true beauty of each of us is in humanity.
