Iconic British model Stella Tennant has passed away at the age of 50.
The news of her untimely death was confirmed earlier today in a statement released by her family. 'It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on 22 December 2020. Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date,' the statement read.
Known for her androgynous appearance and distinctive asymmetrical, jet black hair, Tennant was one of the industry's most recognizable faces. The great-granddaughter of the duke and duchess of Devonshire, Andrew Cavendish and Deborah Mitford she was born in Scotland. Her foray into fashion took place in the 1990s after being spotted by Vogue photographer Steven Meisel who booked her for shoot in British Vogue's December 1993 issue.
Following that, she was offered to star in a Versace campaign alongside Evangelista, Shalom Harlow and Kristen McMenamy and not long after Karl Lagerfeld tapped her to be the face of Chanel due to her resemblance to Coco Chanel. Tennant who was a regular muse of Meisel became a favorite of other iconic photographers of the 90s such as Bruce Weber, Mario Testino, David Sims, and Mark Borthwick.
With her famed statuesque beauty and inimitable personal style, Tennant went on to appear on the runways for designers including Jean-Paul Gaultier, Versace, and Alexander McQueen.
In 1998 she retired from the industry but made a retun to modeling in 2002 with a campaign for Burberry shot by Mario Testino. In recent years Tennant dedicated herself to various environmental causes and teamed up with Oxfam. She also had triend her hand at designing. In 2019 she appeared on the runways of Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, and Saint Laurent while at the start of this year she opened Valentino's spring 2020 couture show.
Tennant is survived by her husband French photographer David Lasnet, and her four children, Marcel, Cecily, Jasmine, and Iris.
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