Tatjana Patitz, the social dedications of the supermodels in her memory

“Working with her, so grounded but always so elevated, was a joy. I hope there are horses and dogs in heaven too. We will miss you very much »: it is Claudia Schiffer to speak thus of his colleague and longtime friend Tatjana Patitz, the German supermodel with a passion for horse riding who she died yesterday at the age of 56. The breast cancer that cut short her life can do nothing against the power of memory: “Tatjana was a true member of the supermodel gang, it’s hard to understand why someone so young has left us.” But Claudia Schiffer, 52 years old and almost the same age as Tatjana, is not the only one who has dedicated words of commemoration to her in memory of her.

Also Marc Jacobs, designer and founder of his eponymous brand, has joined the fashion choir and those who have been able, albeit for a short time, to experience Tatjana up close. «I will always remember the emotion I felt when I saw the opening on the September issue of Vogue in 1989. That was my first collection for Perry Ellis. My favorite sequined gown, photographed by the incredible Peter Lindbergh, was worn by the stunning beauty that is Tatjana Patitz. Those eyes. That mouth. That body. And that gentle nature. Gorgeous in all respects. I only got to work with you once and, sadly, I never got to know you well. I am grateful for the little time I have spent with you. Rest in peace”.

Muse of photographer Peter Lindbergh, it is also the foundation set up by the latter to remember her with a commemoration post on Instagram: «We are deeply saddened by the death of Tatjana Patitz, a longtime friend of Peter. The Peter Lindbergh Foundation remembers her kindness, inner beauty and extraordinary intelligence. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and especially with [il figlio] Jonah. We will miss him terribly.”

Also the photography duo Inez & Vinoodh remembers her on social media with two iconic shots: the first portrait with which they ever immortalized the disarming beauty of Tatjana in 1999 for V Magazineplus a second shot twelve years later, for the French edition of Vogue.

In the end, the most heartfelt of the dedications signed by supermodel Christy Turlington. Indeed more, a true anecdote of real life revealed in honor of him. “It was during my second photo shoot for Vogue USA that we worked together for the first time, together with Estelle Lefebure and Letitia Fermin Didot, in Cannes with the photographer Dennis Peel and the fashion editor Polly Mellen. We had to shoot that season’s collections – recalls Christy Turlington. – I was a 16-year-old high school student from Northern California, I was given permission to drop out of school to go to Paris alone for the first time to pursue this opportunity. I stayed at the Hotel Crillon for one night before meeting up with the rest of the team on site the following day. Tatjana was already living in Paris at the time, and she had been instructed to pick me up on the way to the airport.’

A great friendship was about to be born, but above all Tatjana was about to become a life coach for Christy: «My first introduction to Tatjana was via the telephone in the hotel lobby. “Where are you? We’ll be late!”, he said. I felt sad to leave my beautiful hotel room after such a short stay, but I didn’t want to make myself look bad. Not on this trip, and especially not at the eyes of Tatjana Patitz”. It was with the arrival (on time) at Charles de Gaulle that Tatjana began to talk to her. She had finally relaxed and, once at the hotel in Cannes, he invited her to her room for a glass of champagne and some “I could have sat all day watching her smoke cigarettes and express herself in any of the many languages ​​she was fluent in. Who needed to work? I was learning how an international woman behaved and moved in the world. Tatjana had taken me under her wing».