History of Tatjana Patitz in Timeline

Tatjana Patitz was a highly successful German fashion model who rose to international fame during the 1980s and 1990s. She graced the pages of prominent fashion magazines like Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue, becoming a recognizable face for various designers. Patitz was notably part of the "big five" supermodels and appeared in George Michael's iconic "Freedom! '90" music video. Her career was significantly shaped by her collaborations with renowned photographers Herb Ritts and Peter Lindbergh, contributing to both editorial and fine-art photography.

1983: Elite Model Look Finalist

In 1983, at age 17, Tatjana Patitz became a finalist in the Elite Model Look contest and secured a contract to work as a model in Paris.

1984: First Show in Paris for Azzedine Alaia

In 1984, Tatjana Patitz had her first show in Paris for Azzedine Alaia, marking the beginning of her runway career.

December 1985: Featured in Vogue's "Colored Contact Lenses"

In December 1985, Vogue featured Irving Penn's photograph, "Colored Contact Lenses", showcasing Tatjana Patitz wearing contact lenses.

1985: First Major Cover

By 1985, Tatjana Patitz was working regularly, and at the end of that year, she landed her first major cover on British Vogue.

1985: Editorial for French Vogue

In 1985, Tatjana Patitz's success in Europe included an editorial for the September issue of French Vogue, shot by Horst P. Horst.

1986: Vogue Italia Covers

In 1986, Tatjana Patitz appeared on two covers of the Italian edition of Vogue and continued to be featured in editorials in the American and British editions.

May 1987: First American Vogue Cover

In May 1987, Tatjana Patitz graced her first cover of American Vogue, photographed by Richard Avedon, considered one of the definitive covers of the 1980s.

1987: Duran Duran "Skin Trade" Music Video Appearance

In 1987, Tatjana Patitz appeared in the Duran Duran music video for "Skin Trade", which charted on Billboard's Hot 100.

1987: Tiffany's Anniversary Cover

In 1987, Tatjana Patitz appeared on the cover of Tiffany's magazine special issue for their 150th anniversary and was named model discovery of the year.

1988: Nick Kamen "Tell Me" Music Video Appearance

In 1988, Tatjana Patitz appeared in the Nick Kamen music video for "Tell Me".

1988: Tatjana Veiled Head (Tight View), Joshua Tree 1988

In 1988, Tatjana Patitz was the subject of Herb Ritts' celebrated work, Tatjana Veiled Head (Tight View), Joshua Tree 1988.

1988: "Tatjana: Million Dollar Beauty" Vogue Article

In 1988, Vogue published an article titled "Tatjana: Million Dollar Beauty", sharing insights from her creative team about her photogenic qualities and versatility.

April 1989: "Earthly Powers" Editorial in British Vogue

In April 1989, Tatjana Patitz debuted a new cropped hairstyle in the "Earthly Powers" editorial for British Vogue, which led to covers for both British and French Vogue.

1989: Group Portraits

In the final months of 1989, Tatjana Patitz was photographed with her peers in two group portraits: Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood by Herb Ritts; and Peter Lindbergh's cover of the January 1990 issue of British Vogue.

January 1990: Peter Lindbergh's British Vogue Cover

In January 1990, Tatjana Patitz was featured on the cover of British Vogue by Peter Lindbergh, which helped establish her in the supermodel era.

1990: Vogue Covers

In 1990, Tatjana Patitz appeared on the January covers of both American and British Vogue, solidifying her status as a top model.

1990: Featured in "Freedom! '90" music video

In 1990, Tatjana Patitz gained further recognition as one of the big five supermodels who appeared in George Michael's music video "Freedom! '90".

1990: George Michael "Freedom! '90" Music Video Appearance

In 1990, Tatjana Patitz starred in George Michael's "Freedom! '90" music video, recognized as one of the greatest videos of all time.

April 1992: Centennial Vogue Cover

In April 1992, Tatjana Patitz shared a cover with other supermodels for the centennial issue of Vogue, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.

April 1992: Cosmetics Contract with Germaine Monteil

In April 1992, Tatjana Patitz won an exclusive cosmetics contract with Germaine Monteil makeup and perfumes.

1992: Iconic Image in Vogue's Anniversary Book

In 1992, the "Colored Contact Lenses" photograph featuring Tatjana Patitz was included in the book On The Edge: Images from 100 Years of Vogue, recognizing it as one of the era's iconic photographs.

1993: "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, 1993 (for Parkett 37)"

In 1993, Tatjana Patitz collaborated with artist Charles Ray in "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World, 1993 (for Parkett 37)" for Parkett 37 where she was depicted as the girl next door.

1993: Film Appearance in Rising Sun

In 1993, Tatjana Patitz made her first major film appearance as a murder victim in Rising Sun.

1994: Helmet Lang Fall Collection Appearance

In 1994, Tatjana Patitz appeared in Helmet Lang's Fall collection, which featured latex and lace.

April 1997: Elle Decor UK Cover Story

As of 1997, Tatjana Patitz had appeared on over 200 magazine covers and was profiled for her home design in an April 1997 cover story for Elle Decor UK.

March 1998: Helmut Lang Collection Appearance

In March 1998, Tatjana Patitz appeared in Helmut Lang's collection, which was the first fashion show ever shown online.

1999: Largest Role in Restraining Order

In 1999, Tatjana Patitz had her largest role in the thriller Restraining Order.

June 2000: V Magazine Editorial

In June 2000, Tatjana Patitz appeared in the May/June issue of V magazine, photographed by Inez and Vinoodh, alongside fellow supermodels.

2000: Korn "Make Me Bad" Music Video Appearance

In 2000, Tatjana Patitz appeared in the Korn music video for the song "Make Me Bad," which was a top 10 hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart.

2000: Helmut Lang Runway

In 2000, Tatjana Patitz returned to the runway for Helmut Lang's Fall/Winter presentation, which Vogue considered unforgettable.

2001: Jil Sander No. 4 Fragrance Campaign

In 2001, Tatjana Patitz was the face of the Jil Sander No. 4 fragrance campaign.

2003: Kookai Campaign

In 2003, Peter Lindbergh photographed Tatjana Patitz for the Spring/Summer Kookai campaign.

2004: Birth of Son Jonah Johnson

In 2004, Tatjana Patitz gave birth to her son, Jonah Johnson.

2004: Jigsaw Fall/Winter Campaign

In 2004, Tatjana Patitz starred in the Fall/Winter campaign for Jigsaw, photographed by Juergen Teller.

September 2006: W Magazine Feature

In September 2006, Juergen Teller included Tatjana Patitz in his portfolio of fashion's original cover models for W magazine.

2007: Animal Rights Advocacy

In 2007, Tatjana Patitz advocated for animal rights by filming a PSA for Orangutan Outreach.

July 2008: Livingetc Feature on Interior Design

In July 2008, Tatjana Patitz's interior design style, emphasizing recycled materials, was featured in Livingetc.

March 2009: Hermès Show Appearance

In March 2009, Tatjana Patitz walked the finale of the Hermès show with designer Jean Paul Gaultier, in a tribute to aviator Amelia Earhart.

2009: Jean Paul Gaultier Runway

In 2009, Tatjana Patitz closed Jean Paul Gaultier's Fall/Winter collection for Hermes during the finale.

2010: Chanel Resort Collection Appearance

In 2010, Tatjana Patitz starred in Chanel's Resort Collection as the picture-hatted Edwardian mother in "Death in Venice", walking the finale with designer Karl Lagerfeld.

2010: Coco on the Lido

In 2010, Tatjana Patitz was cast by Karl Lagerfeld in his "Coco on the Lido" cruise collection in Venice, reinventing Coco Chanel's mystique.

2010: Carl Zeiss AG Calendar Photoshoot

In the summer of 2010, Tatjana Patitz had a photoshoot with Michael J. Fox for the Carl Zeiss AG calendar, photographed by Bryan Adams in New York City.

2011: Shiseido Spokesmodel

In 2011, Tatjana Patitz became the spokesmodel for Shiseido, making industry headlines.

2011: Carl Zeiss AG Calendar Appearance

In 2011, Tatjana Patitz, along with Michael J. Fox, appeared in the 2011 Carl Zeiss AG calendar, photographed by Bryan Adams.

August 2012: Vogue Editorial Shoot with Son

In August 2012, Tatjana Patitz's son, Jonah Johnson, joined her on an editorial shoot for "The Great Escape" for American Vogue.

2012: Grace Coddington's Memoir

In 2012, Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington mentioned Tatjana Patitz in her memoir, recognizing her as one of the original supermodels and a favorite for photographs and catwalks.

February 2013: Numéro China Cover

In February 2013, Tatjana Patitz was featured on the cover of Numéro China, accompanied by a 20-page editorial.

2014: Musee Magazine Article

In 2014, Musee Magazine highlighted Tatjana Patitz's collaboration with artist Charles Ray in 1993 as a precursor to social media trends.

2014: L'Oreal Age Perfect Campaign

In 2014, Tatjana Patitz starred in an international advertising campaign for L'Oreal Age Perfect with Jane Fonda and Doutzen Kroes.

September 2015: Vogue Italia "In Love With..." Editorial

In September 2015, Tatjana Patitz reunited with Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Italia's September issue, in an editorial titled "In Love With...", celebrating Lindbergh's frequent subjects, the 1990s supermodels. A short film, "The Reunion", was also produced, celebrating maturing beauty.

2015: Continued Demand as Supermodel

As of 2015, Tatjana Patitz, as one of the "Original Supermodels", remained in demand, appearing on covers and in campaigns and returning to the runway for select brands and designers.

2017: Continued Work as Supermodel

As of 2017, Tatjana Patitz did not stop working as a model, demonstrating her enduring presence in the fashion industry.

December 2019: Editorial Shoot with Son for Vogue

In December 2019, Tatjana Patitz's son, Jonah Johnson, joined his mother on the "Family Matters" editorial shoot in Vogue.

2019: Etro Fall/Winter Show Appearance

In 2019, Tatjana Patitz appeared on the catwalk for the last time for Etro's fall/winter 2019 show during Milan Fashion Week. The collection, titled "Aristoindies," featured A-list supermodels.

2019: Interview for Mercedes-AMG's 63Magazine

In 2019, Tatjana Patitz gave an interview for Mercedes-AMG's 63Magazine, sharing her views on life, happiness, and aging in the beauty and fashion industries.

2020: Etro Fall/Winter Show Appearance

In 2020, Tatjana Patitz last appeared on the catwalk for Etro's fall/winter show during Milan Fashion Week. The collection, titled "Aristoindies," featured A-list supermodels.

2020: Recognition as a Top Supermodel

In 2020, Tatjana Patitz was celebrated by Marie Claire as one of the top supermodels who ruled the runway in the 1990s. She was also recognised for her work with Vogue and Harper's Bazaar articles that were published during the global pandemic of 2020.

2021: Recognition for Most Beautiful Face of the Decade

In 2021, an article in L'Officiel singled out Tatjana Patitz for having the most beautiful face of the 1990s.

2021: Named as One of the Only German Supermodels

In early 2021, Tatjana Patitz was named by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as one of only three Germans who still hold the title of supermodel, along with Claudia Schiffer and Nadja Auermann.