Then and now: Interview with supermodel Tatjana Patitz

You may not know her by name, but it’s a face you can’t forget. Tatjana Patitz was one of the 10 legendary beauties that marked the beginning of the phenomenal, albeit shortlived, supermodel era. She appeared on the iconic January 1990 Vogue cover together with Naomi, Linda, Christy and Cindy, and in the same company mouthing the words to Freedom in that seductive George Michael video that none of us can ever get enough of. Since then she has been a familiar face of campaigns for Chanel, Calvin Klein and Versace and shot by the very best photographers in the business. Now 47, Tatjana continues to work as a model, though her son and her passion for riding are on the top of her list. We asked Germany’s first supermodel to look back on her career and give us her vision of the profoundly different fashion industry of today.

Tatjana Patitz, photo by Inez & Vinoodh 2012

As a girl did you aspire to being a model? How did it happen?
I never aspired to be a model…it happened when a photographer saw me and wanted to take my picture when I was 14 and then sent them to Elite. I won 3rd place in the Look of the Year contest in Sweden and when I finished school I went to Paris at the age of 17.

Did you ever want to have another career or have a particular interest in any another field?
I always loved animals and was crazy about horses; I though of being a veterinarian but I wasn’t really sure of what I wanted to do.

One of Tatjana’s latest shoots for Equistyle, 2013

There is an interview with you in the Guardian from 2009, titled «The Forgotten Supermodel.» Do you feel that the fashion world forgot you, or that you simply had priorities other than perpetuating your fame?
The guardian interview was not what it appeared when I was first asked to do it. I had no idea that the interviewer would be so negative or I wouldn’t have done it. I never left the business but I was very selective of the jobs I took. I also have a son and he was my number one priority–I wanted to raise him so I was worked less. I have always had a very private life and don’t publicise my every move when I have nothing to promote and therefore am completely under the radar. Which means I never have to worry about paparazzi snapping away when I spend private family time, and that to me is the most important thing. Careers have seasons, too, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I am in this business for 30 years and still going strong.

Tatjana with her son Jonah, for Vogue August 2012, photo by Peter Lindbergh

What would you say was the highest and lowest point of your career?
Definitely the nineties were amazing. I honestly cannot pinpoint any best or worst moments.

Wild at Heart shoot for Vogue 1991, by Peter Lindberg

How has age affected how you are treated by the industry and how do you feel about it?
The only certain thing is change. Everything changes. You just have to flow with it and make the absolute best out of different situations.

What do you think of the models that predominate in the fashion industry today?
There are some very beautiful models out there in today’s industry. The only thing that continues to surprise me is how skinny they are compared to how we were at the height of our career.

Photo by Peter Lindbergh

Can you tell us something about you that most people don’t know?
That I’m actually shy and that comes across as arrogant. I’m not shy with people that I know, but initially I am. I’m better now that I am older and that is something that I try to work on as much as I can.

What do you think makes a woman beautiful?
Her inner beauty for sure. I know it can sound very cliché, but it’s true. Have you ever met anyone who is really good-looking but has ugly qualities? They suddenly become quite unattractive and not so beautiful at all.

Tatjana in Vogue 1990, photo by Antoine Verglas

Special thanks to Susanne Maushake of Munich Models for making this interview possible!