Tatjana Patitz was a German model who was well recognized for being one of the five supermodels who starred in the 1990 music video “Freedom! ’90” by George Michael. She was known for achieving international prominence in the 1980s and 1990s representing fashion designers on runways and in magazines such as “Elle”, “Harper’s Bazaar”, and “Vogue”. She also worked on television commercials, which sometimes used her arresting looks for comic effect. She became hugely successful early on, working with top photographers like Steve Meisel and Bruce Weber. She was an avid horsewoman who continued her lifelong passion for animals and the environment by campaigning for ecological causes and animal rights. The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” named Tatjana, Claudia Schiffer, and Nadja Auermann as the only three Germans who still hold the title of supermodel in early 2021. Moreover, she was also active on social media as she earned more than 131K followers on her Instagram account. Sadly, we lost her on 11th January 2023.

Where was Tatjana Patitz from?

Tatjana Patitz stepped for the very first time into the world on 25th May 1966 in Hamburg, West Germany. She was of German nationality and she came from a mixed ethnic background. Likewise, her religious belief was in the Christian religion and her race was white. Tatjana lastly celebrated her 56th birthday in the May of 2021 and as per her birthdate, her zodiac sign was Aries. Her father was German and his job as a travel journalist allowed his family to travel and live in different countries. Tatjana’s mother was an Estonian dancer who performed at Le Lido in Paris. She also had one sibling a sister named Sophie Patitz.

Tatjana Patitz Career (Model)

  • Tatjana Patitz conceived her career by entering and becoming a finalist in the Elite Model Look in 1983 at the age of 17 where she won a contract and moved to Paris to begin working as a model.
  • She then modeled for the cover of British “Vogue”, her first major cover, and started to work with photographer Peter Lindbergh.
  • She worked for American Vogue and such photographers as Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Steven Meisel, Denis Piel, Sheila Metzner, and Wayne Maser.
  • She also starred on two covers of the Italian edition of “Vogue” in 1986 and continued to be featured in editorials in the American and British editions of “Vogue”.
  • She was the subject of “Tatjana Veiled Head (Tight View), Joshua Tree 1988” which was one of Ritts’ most celebrated works.
  • For an April 1989 editorial titled “Earthly Powers” in British Vogue, hair stylist Didier Malige cut and restyled Tatjana’s foot-long blonde hair into a cropped shag just above her shoulders.
  • Subsequently, Britain’s “SKY Magazine” called her the first German supermodel and noted that her success led the Elite agency to open a branch in Germany.”
  • She later continued to manage her modeling career while studying acting. Tatjana worked with Ritts, Lindbergh, and Maser but was sought after by the industry’s leading female photographers such as Peggy Sirota, Ellen Von Unwerth, Pamela Hanson, and Sheila Metzner as well as new photographers such as Mario Sorrenti and Juergen Teller.
  • Also, she worked in advertising campaigns and on runways for such top fashion houses as Chanel, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Helmut Lang, Donna Karan, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Vivienne Westwood.
  • She also shared another cover with the supermodels of the era for the centennial issue of “Vogue” (April 1992) photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.
  • It was announced in 1992 that she had won an exclusive cosmetics contract with Germaine Monteil’s makeup and perfumes.
  • She had starred on over 200 magazine covers worldwide, including seven covers of American “Vogue” and thirteen covers of British “Vogue” as of 1997.
  • International editions of “Vogue” and “Elle” have also profiled Patitz for her signature home design and decor style including a cover story for the April 1997 edition of “Elle Decor UK”.
  • Apparently, Tatjana started the new millennium continuing to work with top photographers at major fashion magazines such as the 2000 editorial in “Vogue Italia” titled, “Magnetic” by Paolo Roversi.
  • She was the face of the Jil Sander No. 4 fragrance campaign in 2001 as well as the cover star of the July issue of “Elle UK” and the September issue of “Italian Elle”.
  • She continued to be an advocate for animal rights by filming a PSA in 2007 for Orangutan Outreach.
  • Later she closed out the decade by returning to the runway in 2009 for designer Jean Paul Gaultier, closing his Fall/Winter collection for Hermes during the finale.
  • She was also chosen as the spokesmodel to front the cosmetics campaign for the global brand Shiseido as well as “Vogue Paris” which included Tatjana in a black and white portfolio in the following year.
  • “Numero” China featured Patitz on its cover for its February 2013 issue as well as she starred in an international advertising campaign in 2014 with actress Jane Fonda and model Doutzen Kroes for L’Oreal Age Perfect which celebrated three generations of timeless women.
  • She was reunited with Peter Lindbergh for a new group editorial commissioned by editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani for “Vogue Italia’s” September 2015 issue.
  • As well, she appeared on the catwalk for the last time in 2019, after being diagnosed with breast cancer which was for Etro’s fall/winter 2019 show during Milan Fashion Week.
  • She also starred at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan in a collection that made headlines for bringing together A-list supermodels, including Farida Khelfa and Alek Wek for Etro’s Fall 2019/2020 collection titled “Aristoindies”.
  • Furthermore, Patitz starred in the Nick Kamen music video for “Tell Me” in 1999 and appeared in the Korn music video for the song “Make Me Bad” in 2000.
  • Her first major film appearance was as a murder victim in “Rising Sun” (1993). Following this, she also had appearances on television series such as “The Single Guy” and “The Larry Sanders Show”. 
  • Her largest role was in the 1999 thriller “Restraining Order.”
    As well, she starred in the 2011 Carl Zeiss AG calendar, photographed by Bryan Adams in New York City in the summer of 2010.

Assessment and recognition

  • Tatjana’s first show was in Paris for “Azzedine Alaia” in 1984 and “Vanity Fair” called Patitz a catwalk queen of the 1990s in 2009.
    “Marie Claire” magazine celebrated Patitz as one of the top supermodels who ruled the runway in the 1990s in 220.
  • The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” named Tatjana, Claudia Schiffer, and Nadja Auermann as the only three Germans who still hold the title of supermodel.
  • A 2021 article in “L’Officiel” about the supermodel phenomenon of the 1990s singled out Patitz for having the most beautiful face of the decade.

Tatjana Patitz Husband and Son

Tatjana Patitz was a married woman. She tied the knot with her handsome husband Jason Randall Johnson in 2004. Jason is a well-known businessman. The couple was carrying on with an upbeat life and their bond was going more grounded with the progression of time till the time of Patitz’s death. She gave birth to her son, Jonah Johnson, who joined his mother on many editorial shoots including “The Great Escape” for American Vogue’s August 2012 issue and “Family Matters” in the December 2019 issue. Concerning her sexual orientation, she was straight.

Tatjana Patitz cause of death

Tatjana Patitz, one of the supermodels who were omnipresent on fashion runways, magazine covers, and television commercials in the late 1980s and 90s, died on Wednesday 11th January 2023. She was 56. She died of metastatic breast cancer, in Santa Barbara, California. Her New York agent, Corinne Nicolas of Model CoOp, announced the death on Facebook. Ms. Nicolas’s post did not state when or where Ms. Patitz died, but she told the website Insider that the cause was cancer.

Tatjana Patitz’s Net Worth

Tatjana Patitz had a net worth of $14 million at the time of her death (2023). She also earned a handsome amount of salary which was around thousands of dollars per year. She had accomplished a lot in such a short span, which had provided her with the limelight. Due to that, she was getting endorsement deals from different brands, and some brands are already sponsoring her. She had worked in advertising campaigns and on runways for such top fashion houses as Chanel, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Helmut Lang, Donna Karan, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Vivienne Westwood. In addition, her major source of income was her modeling career.

How tall is Tatjana Patitz?

Tatjana Patitz was 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and her body weighed around 57 kg. She had good-looking blonde hair and dark brown eyes color. She had the perfect body combined with good looks and could carry off any look with great simplicity. Besides, her body build type was slim and her body measurements were 35-25-36 inches.

You May Also Like

The place is Parker Stevenson now? Spouse Kirstie Alley, Salary

Introduction Parker Stevenson spent virtually half a century working in Hollywood, however…
Boitumelo Masilo - Age, Net Worth, Height, Bio, Career, Single

Boitumelo Masilo – Age, Net Worth, Height, Bio, Career, Single

Boitumelo Masilo is a Botswana middle-distance runner. Moreover, Boitumelo Masilo represented his…

Victoria Pedretti Bio, Family, Career, Boyfriend, Net Worth, Height

Victoria Pedretti is an American actress appearing in several films and drama…
Oliver Strohhacker - Bio, Age, Height, Net Worth, Facts, Nationality

Oliver Strohhacker – Bio, Age, Height, Net Worth, Facts, Nationality

Oliver Strohhacker is a popular Canadian Makeup Artist. Oliver Strohhacker is famous…