Tatjana Patitz
Bust
36
Waist
26
Hip
37
Eyes
Blue
Hair
Blonde
Shoes
8.5
Height
5 Feet, 11 Inches

Net worth $14 Million

Birthday
March 25, 1966
Birthplace
Birth Sign

About

Tatjana Patitz (25 May 1966 – 11 January 2023) was a German-born model who helped define the word “supermodel” during the late-1980s and 1990s. Her quietly intense gaze, statuesque 5’11” frame, and easy confidence landed her on the covers of Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar around the globe. Photographers Herb Ritts and Peter Lindbergh adored her natural elegance, often capturing her in wind-swept black-and-white portraits that became era-defining images. Patitz later branched into acting, appeared in commercials for brands such as Cartier and L’Oréal, and used her platform to support environmental and animal-welfare causes. She passed away in the Santa Barbara area at 56 after a private fight with metastatic breast cancer, leaving a legacy of effortless poise and genuine warmth.

Before Fame

Patitz spent her childhood in the coastal town of Skanör, Sweden. Her father, a German travel journalist, took the family on frequent journeys, while her Estonian mother—a former dancer at Paris’s Le Lido—instilled an artistic spirit at home. Horses were Tatjana’s first love; by age seven she was riding daily and competing in local shows. At 17 she entered the Elite Model Look contest in Stockholm and placed third; the prize was a contract in Paris. Work came slowly at first, but everything changed once Peter Lindbergh photographed her for his now-iconic “White Shirts” portfolio in 1988. Two years later she appeared alongside Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington on the January 1990 cover of British Vogue—the image that sparked the supermodel phenomenon. That same cast lip-synced in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” video, cementing her place in pop-culture history.

Trivia

  • Horse whisperer: Even at the height of her career, Patitz spent weekends riding or caring for rescue horses; she called the stables her “therapy in nature.”
  • Silver screen moments: She had small roles in Rising Sun (1993) with Sean Connery and Restraining Order (1999), plus guest spots on The Larry Sanders Show and The Single Guy.
  • Voice for ageless beauty: A 2014 L’Oréal “Age Perfect” campaign featured Patitz beside Jane Fonda and Doutzen Kroes, celebrating women across generations.
  • Runway return: Her last catwalk appearance came in 2019 for Etro’s bohemian-themed Milan show, years after most of her peers had retired.
  • Philosophy on aging: “I am proud of my wrinkles. I worked for each one and they belong to me,” she told 63Magazine in 2019, urging the industry to value authenticity over perfection.

Family Life

Patitz preferred a low-key home life on a ranch outside Santa Barbara, California. She married businessman Jason Randall Johnson in the early 2000s, and in 2004 the couple welcomed their son, Jonah. Motherhood, she said, was her greatest joy: “Jonah, my friends, my animals, and nature give me balance and satisfaction.” The pair later separated amicably, and Patitz devoted her free time to Jonah’s upbringing, horse rescue projects, and beach clean-ups along the California coast. Her passing in 2023 prompted tributes from fashion houses, photographers, and animal-rights groups alike.

Associated With

Patitz’s career is woven together with a who’s-who of fashion and music:

  • Supermodel circle: Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista—her companions on that famed Vogue cover and in “Freedom! ’90.”
  • Lens legends: Herb Ritts’ sun-bleached Malibu shots and Peter Lindbergh’s raw portraits defined her public image.
  • Runway royalty: She regularly walked for designers like Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, Versace’s Gianni Versace, and Jil Sander, admired for bringing understated glamour to any collection.
  • Pop-culture touches: Beyond George Michael, she appeared in Duran Duran’s “Skin Trade” video and later collaborated on charity projects with singer Bryan Adams, who photographed her for the 2011 Zeiss calendar.

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