Original supermodel Tatjana Patitz dies at 56

German model Tatjana Patitz presents the new catalogue of the OTTO group in Hamburg December 14, 2006. Patitz, one of the original supermodels who dominated fashion in the 1980s and 90s, died Wednesday. She was 56. – Photo: Reuters

Tatjana Patitz, one of the original supermodels who dominated fashion in the 1980s and 90s commanding huge payouts for photoshoots, died Wednesday, her agent said. She was 56.

The Germany-born Patitz was among a handful of women of the era whose looks and style catapulted them to a global fame that transcended modelling.