1980s In 1983 at the age of 17, Patitz entered and became a finalist in the
Elite Model Look (formerly known as Elite Models' "Look of the Year" contest), and based on a
Polaroid, she was placed third by
Elite Model Management founder
John Casablancas. Patitz won a contract and moved to Paris to begin working as a model. Though not an immediate success, by 1985, Patitz worked regularly and at the end of that year, she modelled for the cover of British
Vogue, her first major cover. Also that year she began to work with photographer
Peter Lindbergh with whom she cultivated a 30-year collaborative relationship which contributed to the launch of the supermodel era. In his book,
10 Women, Lindbergh wrote, "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." Patitz's success in Europe, which included an editorial for the 1985 September issue of French
Vogue by master photographer
Horst P. Horst, led her to New York City where she worked for American
Vogue and such photographers as
Irving Penn,
Helmut Newton,
Steven Meisel,
Denis Piel,
Sheila Metzner, and Wayne Maser. She also worked with
Gilles Bensimon at
Elle and
Francesco Scavullo at
Cosmopolitan. The December 1985 issue of
Vogue featured
Irving Penn's photograph, "Colored Contact Lenses", showing Patitz wearing contact lenses over closed eyelids. The image would later be featured in the 1992 book
On The Edge: Images from 100 Years of Vogue as one of the iconic photographs of the era. In 1986, she appeared on two covers of the Italian edition of
Vogue and continued to be featured in editorials in the American and British editions of
Vogue. Patitz appeared in campaigns for
Calvin Klein photographed by
Bruce Weber, and in 1987 for
Revlon's "The Most Unforgettable Women in the World" campaign photographed by
Richard Avedon. Avedon also photographed Patitz for her first cover of American
Vogue (May 1987), which is regarded as one of the definitive covers of the 1980s.
Vogue began regularly including Patitz's name on the pages of fashion editorials as early as 1987, familiarising readers not only with her face, but also with her personality. "What immediately strikes me about her is her extraordinary kindness and her star quality," stated photographer
Antoine Verglas. When
Tiffany's celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1987, Patitz appeared on the cover of their magazine's special issue with ballet dancer
Mikhail Baryshnikov and she was named the model discovery of the year for her gleaming and radiant looks. During this period, Patitz met Los Angeles-based photographer
Herb Ritts, with whom she shared another significant and enduring collaboration in fashion, fine art, and commercial work, like a
muse playing any role he suggested—mermaid, sprite, surfer girl, plainswoman, movie star. Ritts said of Patitz, "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." As Patitz's career escalated, she was credited with expanding ideals of female beauty. Patitz and a select group of individual-looking, business-minded, high-profile fashion models emerged and came to be known as the original supermodels. An image of Patitz with other models laughing on the beach was photographed by Peter Lindbergh for
Vogue during this period. Titled "White Cotton Shirts", the photograph is regarded as an iconic fashion photograph and was accompanied by an article that singled out Patitz for her "astonishing presence", For an April 1989 editorial titled "Earthly Powers" in British
Vogue, hair stylist
Didier Malige cut and restyled Patitz's foot-long blonde hair into a cropped
shag just above her shoulders. Considered by some industry insiders as a drastic mistake, the risk paid off. "Once I cut my hair – I cried for two months," Patitz told
Esquire. "People said, 'We can't believe she cut her hair. But the move won Patitz covers of British and French editions of
Vogue featuring her new look. The pinnacle of that year came in July and August when Patitz was awarded with consecutive covers of American
Vogue. Being on
Vogues cover two months in a row was a rare achievement for a model of that time and an innovation for the recently revamped
Vogue under the leadership of new editor-in-chief
Anna Wintour. This period was the zenith of Patitz's career, known as "the era of Tatjana" in the fashion industry – a whirlwind time when she seemed destined to walk away with the title of supermodel herself. Britain's
SKY Magazine called Patitz the first German supermodel and noted that her success led the Elite agency to open a branch in Germany." At this point, being in such demand required constant travel for Patitz, who flew 40 flights in one month alone. In an effort to live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle, Patitz began slowing down her modelling career to focus on other creative pursuits such as writing, acting, and meditation. She relocated to California and made Los Angeles her homebase. The move afforded Patitz, who had always searched for creative and spiritual growth, the time and space to develop other aspects of her life.
1990s In the final months of 1989, Patitz was photographed with her peers in two group portraits that would become defining images of the forthcoming supermodel era of the 1990s:
Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood by Herb Ritts; and Peter Lindbergh's cover of the January 1990 issue of British
Vogue. The international press began recognising supermodels as the icons of the day, noting that female ideals were no longer only dictated by fashion editors or reflective of male fantasies – but representative of where women stand now and what they aspire to. 1990 began with Patitz gracing the January covers of both American and British
Vogue. She shared the British
Vogue cover with
Naomi Campbell,
Cindy Crawford,
Linda Evangelista, and
Christy Turlington; the portrait of the five women is regarded as the cover that sparked the supermodel phenomenon of the 1990s, helping each woman attain global appeal. The January British
Vogue cover inspired singer
George Michael to cast Patitz, Crawford, Evangelista, Turlington, and Campbell in his music video for the song "
Freedom! '90" which was directed by
David Fincher. Michael did not appear in the video; instead, each woman would
lip-synch the song in Michael's place. While Patitz and her co-stars were already the top stars in the fashion world, they won major recognition for their beauty and charisma outside of it too. The music video was programmed into heavy rotation on
MTV, going on to transcend the worlds of pop culture, music, and fashion in the 1990s and remaining influential and iconic in the decades to come. The media dubbed Crawford, Campbell, Turlington, Evangelista, and Patitz "the big five." Settled in Los Angeles, Patitz continued to manage her modelling career while studying acting. She 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. Los Angeles-based photographers Phillip Dixon and
Matthew Rolston also frequently photographed Patitz for ''
Harper's Bazaar''. Rolston said of Patitz: "I look for more than beauty. There must be a memorable quality. Tatjana has it more than anyone else. She sticks in your mind. There's a depth, an emotional quality to her that's truly extraordinary. She's very dear, charming and extremely feminine. She's very open and her priorities are natural things – animals, the sea, the environment. That's what's so interesting about her. She's not what she seems." As the decade progressed, Patitz worked in advertising campaigns and on runways for fashion houses as
Chanel,
Versace,
Salvatore Ferragamo,
Valentino,
Karl Lagerfeld,
Helmut Lang,
Donna Karan,
Jean Paul Gaultier, and
Vivienne Westwood. Perhaps most notably, Patitz was the long-standing face of
Jil Sander, representing the designer's minimalist style in ad campaigns photographed by
Nick Knight. Patitz shared another cover with the supermodels of the era for the centennial issue of
Vogue (April 1992) photographed by
Patrick Demarchelier. Also in 1992, it was announced that Patitz had won an exclusive cosmetics contract with
Germaine Monteil makeup and perfumes. In an interview with ''Harper's Bazaar'', Monteil's Vice-President of Marketing Worldwide, Susan Wells noted that the cosmetics company searched for a woman with a globally recognised name and beauty who had an accessible face that women could relate to. That year,
New York magazine named Patitz one of the top 10 supermodels in the world, epitomising modern beauty and grace – and changing monolithic ideals of perfection. As of 1997 Patitz had appeared on over 200 magazine covers worldwide, including seven covers of American
Vogue and thirteen covers of British
Vogue. French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Australian editions of
Vogue have also featured Patitz on their covers and in editorials photographed by photographers such as
Max Vadukul,
Sante D'Orazio, Mikael Jannson,
Arthur Elgort,
Hans Feurer,
Walter Chin, and Javier Vallhonrat. 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.
2000s Patitz began 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. In the May/June 2000 issue of
V magazine, Patitz was photographed by
Inez and Vinoodh in a series of portraits with fellow supermodels
Christy Turlington,
Stephanie Seymour, and
Iman. Patitz joined Chinese supermodel and actress
Qu Ying at an exhibition in Beijing for
Longines, a brand Patitz would represent throughout the decade. She also returned to the cover of Harper's Bazaar for its Chinese edition. In 2001, she was the face of the Jil Sander No. 4 fragrance campaign as well as being the cover star of the July issue of
Elle UK and the September issue of
Italian Elle. Peter Lindbergh, Patitz's most frequent collaborator, photographed her for the Spring/Summer 2003 Kookai campaign. In 2004, Patitz starred in the Fall/Winter campaign for Jigsaw, photographed by
Juergen Teller and Sand Copenhagen. Teller would include Patitz in his portfolio on fashion's original cover models for the September 2006 issue of
W magazine. The series of portraits is notable for the inclusion of fashion icons throughout different eras and decades, including
Cheryl Tiegs,
Christie Brinkley,
Paulina Porizkova, and
Shalom Harlow. Patitz's contemporaries such as Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington are also included. Patitz continued to be an advocate for animal rights by filming a
PSA in 2007 for Orangutan Outreach and appealing for the protection of orangutans in the rain forests of
Borneo, Indonesia. Still representing cosmetics brands and designers such as
L'Oréal and
Uniqlo, Patitz returned to the runway for
Helmut Lang, including his Fall/Winter 2000 presentation, regarded by
Vogue as one of the most unforgettable fashion shows of all time. In July 2008, Patitz's interior design style was celebrated in the publication
Livingetc for using recycled materials such as reclaimed timber and stone which she found by scouring salvage yards – from limestone kitchen floors to wooden ceiling beams and staircase. It was reported that she lived on her ranch with her five-year-old son Jonah, four horses, four dogs and two cats ("I needed nature around me"). Patitz 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.
2010s In the 2010s, the scope of Patitz's work focused on issues relating to inclusivity,
HIV awareness,
LGBTQ rights, ageism, and gender equality while remaining in the pages and on the covers of
Vogue,
Marie Claire and
Elle. Notably, Patitz's work and career were examined in articles by a new generation of distinguished writers such as
Chloe Malle and Janelle Okwodu, who recognised Patitz for her enduring legacy in projecting different representations of women. When
Karl Lagerfeld staged his "
Coco on the Lido" 2010
cruise collection on the boardwalk along the
Venice Lido, he cast Patitz as an Edwardian mother to poetically reinvent the mystique of
Coco Chanel's favourite locales. At the conclusion of the show, Lagerfeld escorted Patitz for the finale. In 2011 and now in her 40s, Patitz made industry headlines when she was chosen as the spokesmodel to front the cosmetics campaign for the global brand
Shiseido. That year, Patitz was featured in Sarah Brokaw's book Fortytude, telling the author, "I believe in aging gracefully because it celebrates me as a woman...In the end – for me, as for every woman – beauty is what one emanates. It comes from feeling good about who you are with your flaws (and we
all have them), and being at peace with yourself." The following year,
Vogue Paris included Patitz in a black and white portfolio with
Lauren Hutton, Stephanie Seymour, and
Daria Werbowy that celebrated examples of timeless elegance and beauty. Photographed by
Inez and Vinoodh, the editorial was highlighted in the media by such publications as
W magazine.
Numéro China featured Patitz on its cover for its February 2013 issue. The simple yet powerful headline read
Woman and was accompanied by a 20-page editorial photographed by Philip Dixon. The age-defying traits of femininity, strength of character, and enterprising talent were lauded the next year in a special issue of
Vogue Italia titled "Women of Today" that placed Patitz among her colleagues such as
Anjelica Huston,
Julia Ormond, and
Karen Alexander. In 2014, Patitz starred in an international advertising campaign with actress
Jane Fonda and model
Doutzen Kroes for
L'Oreal Age Perfect that celebrated three generations of timeless women. For
Vogue Italias September 2015 issue, Patitz was reunited with Peter Lindbergh for a new group editorial commissioned by editor-in-chief
Franca Sozzani. Titled "In Love With..." the pictorial celebrated Lindbergh's most frequent subjects, the 1990s supermodels. As noted by writer
Suzy Menkes in French
Vogue, "This set of pictures ... seems more intense in the refusal to follow the tools of today's beauty trade – postproduction, a computerized smoothing, hair tidied, wrinkles removed. Refusing to bow to glossy perfection is Peter Lindbergh's trademark – the essence of the images that look into each person's unvarnished soul, however familiar or famous the sitter." A short film, titled "The Reunion", was also produced and made headlines worldwide for Lindbergh's celebration of maturing beauty. The following year, Lindbergh advanced his mission of expanding ideals of beauty and representation when he grouped Patitz with actress
Andie MacDowell and models
Helena Christensen,
Karen Alexander, and
Amber Valletta to front a campaign for cosmetics brand L'Oréal Paris, saying "It should be the responsibility of photographers today to free women and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection." In an interview about the shifting norms in the advertising industry, Patitz commented, "You don't want to see the plastic-fantastic faces of some celebrities today. That's not a role model for young girls; that's not a role model for an older woman, either." Patitz appeared on the catwalk for the last time in 2019, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. This was for Etro's fall/winter 2019 show during
Milan Fashion Week. For Etro's Fall 2019/2020 collection titled "Aristoindies", Patitz appeared 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.
Assessment and recognition Patitz's first show was in Paris for
Azzedine Alaia in 1984, according to
Elle magazine. Thereafter, Patitz appeared in many seminal fashion collections of each decade, including Helmet Lang's Fall 1994 latex and lace collection as well as Lang's March 1998 collection which was the first fashion show to ever be shown online and on the internet. As much as Patitz was associated with Azzedine Alaia and his cadre of models in the 1980s, she was also distinctly associated with Helmut Lang in the 1990s and 2000s. As one of the "Original Supermodels", she remained in demand as of 2015 on covers and in campaigns – returning to the runway for select brands and designers, such as
Etro,
Jean-Paul Gaultier and
Chanel. and as of 2017 did not stop working. In 2009,
Vanity Fair called Patitz a catwalk queen of the 1990s. In March 2009
Vogue declared, "
Hermès flies high with the return of nineties supermodel Tatjana Patitz to the runway" and in a tribute to aviator
Amelia Earhart, Patitz closed the show walking the finale with designer
Jean Paul Gaultier. Patitz then starred in Chanel's 2010 Resort Collection as the picture-hatted Edwardian mother in "Death in Venice", walking the finale with designer Karl Lagerfeld. Patitz was a mainstay in Lagerfeld's fashion shows including Chanel, Chloe,
Fendi, as well as his own collections. In a 2014 edition of Musee Magazine, artist
Slater Bradley told editor-in-chief
Andrea Blanch that Patitz's collaboration with artist
Charles Ray titled "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, 1993 (for Parkett 37)" in which the supermodel was depicted as the girl next door, had achieved what social media would do decades later - but in 1993 - and called it extraordinary and genius. In 2020,
Marie Claire magazine celebrated Patitz as one of the top supermodels who ruled the runway in the 1990s. The same year, Patitz was recognised for her work with
Vogue articles such as "Who Was Tatjana Patitz, The Most Mysterious of the Original Supers?", "'True West' Is the Fashion Fix You Need After Months of Lockdown", and ''Harper's Bazaar''s "The 21 Top Supermodels That Dominated Fashion in the '90s" that were published during the global pandemic of 2020. The year also marked the 30th anniversary of George Michael's "
Freedom! '90", regarded by
Spin magazine as the 15th most iconic music video of all time and by
Rolling Stone as the 11th best music video of all time. In early 2021, the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung named Patitz,
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. ==Acting and other appearances==