Tatjana Patitz Biography

Sleek and sharp-featured, Tatjana Patitz was most famous in the 1990s, when she was known for her Calvin Klein ads and her cover photos for Vogue, Elle and other magazines.

Born in Germany and raised in Sweden, she was generally better known in Europe than in the U.S. But more Americans came to know her from her appearance in George Michael‘s supermodel-riddled music video for his hit Freedom 90. “There was a certain element of mystery to Patitz’s beauty, something in the gentle oval of her face and the shape of her eyes that spoke of self-possession and passion,” reported Vogue after her death in 2023.

Tatjana Patitz appeared in the 1994 Sean Connery film Rising Sun, getting bumped off at the start of the show. Her sister, Sophie Patitz, also worked as a model.