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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2003 Collection - Oscar de la Renta - Runway© GettyImages

Stella Tennant the ultimate fashion muse

Model who rose to fame in the 1990s, capturing the attention of Karl Lagerfeld and gracing the pages of Vogue.


JANUARY 4, 2021 3:48 PM EST

The fashion industry is in absolute shock after hearing the news: Stella Tennant, the British aristocratic model and inspiration to so many designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Pier Paolo Piccioli, Gianni Versace, John Galliano or Tom Ford. In addition, photographers like Mario Testino, Bruce Webber, Steven Meisel, artists like Elizabeth Peyton, fashion editors like Carine Roitfeld and Franca Sozzani were also big advocates and friends.

She touched almost every sensibility in the industry since the 90´s decade and never went out of fashion. We remember some of her most fantastic moments in her fabulous career as an aristo-model.

Lagerfeld Gallery Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2004/2005 Collection© GettyImages

Lagerfeld Gallery Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2004/2005 Collection

The Káiser always thought that Stella had very much in common with Coco Chanel not only because of her looks and the androgynous type but also her temperament so she became his longtime muse for many collections as well as campaigns.

The Fashion Awards 2019 - Tables© GettyImages

The Fashion Awards 2019 - Tables

Saint Laurent : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Spring Summer 2020© GettyImages

Saint Laurent : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Spring Summer 2020

Androgynous: Tennant’s androgynous style and looks gave her many roles on catwalks such as YSL Spring 2020 by Anthony Vaccarello where she walked in a fabulous Saint Laurent´s tuxedo covered in black paillettes , sheer black organza shirt and silk thin tie.

Burberry - Runway - LFW February 2019© GettyImages

Burberry - Runway - LFW February 2019

British Classics: An English eccentric Stella Tennant was an inspiration for Burberry´s designer Riccardo Tisci especially when redesigning the new era for the eponymous British brand and of course Stella Tennant was on the catwalk to show some of the most iconic looks by Tisci.

Berluti : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Fall Winter 2018/2019© GettyImages

Berluti : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Fall Winter 2018/2019

Menswear: Tennant looking fabulous on the runway for the legendary menswear Maison.

Versace : Runway - Paris Fashion Week : Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2014-2015© GettyImages

Versace : Runway - Paris Fashion Week : Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2014-2015

Versace is one of the Houses that loved Tennan’s elegant, aristocratic style and for the 2014-2015 Spring Haute Couture collection this was a vision a fantastic combination of muse and designer, a dream come true.

Valentino : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020© GettyImages

Valentino : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020

Pier Paolo Piccioli chose Stella Tennant to walk for the opening at the Haute Couture Show in Paris an elegant and sophisticated Stella that made everybody almost cry with her style and elegance.

People At Dior Ready To Wear Spring-Summer 2007 Fashion Show. On October 3Rd, 2006. In Paris, France.© GettyImages

People At Dior Ready To Wear Spring-Summer 2007 Fashion Show. On October 3Rd, 2006. In Paris, France.

British designer John Galliano was fascinated by Stella Tennant´s aristocratic and eccentric beauty. While being creative director for Dior Haute Couture this is how he envisioned Stella, the beautiful hat is by British mad hatter Stephen Jones.

Christian Dior : Front Row - Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2015/2016© GettyImages

Christian Dior : Front Row - Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2015/2016

Mario Testino: Photographer but most of all a great friend, who made magnificent portraits of the aristo-model.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2003 Collection - Oscar de la Renta - Runway© GettyImages

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2003 Collection - Oscar de la Renta - Runway

Tennant also was a muse for the late designer who loved aristocratic women and dedicated his collections to dress them up for every occasion here on one of his show finales.

The Fashion Awards 2016 - Winners© GettyImages

The Fashion Awards 2016 - Winners

Fashion Editor and great fríen Carine Roitfeld always found great inspiration as well as friendship in Stella Tennant, many campaigns, fashion magazine covers, projects they made together, iconic fashion moments that we will always remember!

Oxfam Fashion Fighting Poverty Catwalk Show - LFW February 2019© GettyImages

Oxfam Fashion Fighting Poverty Catwalk Show - LFW February 2019

Always a muse: She will always be remembered either on the catwalk or on the front row she contributed to make fantastic images for the fashion industry also a great and thoughtful friend and the most important: mother to her 3 children. She will be greatly missed and will leave a great career behind, a life well lived.

(FromL) British model Stella Tennant, Br© GettyImages

From left to right, British models Stella Tennant, Lily Cole, Karen Elson, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jourdon Dunn and David Gandy perform at the Olympic stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games in London on Aug. 12, 2012

Closing Ceremony: one of her biggest achievements was walking with other friends and top models such as Naomi Campbell an Kate Moss for the Closing Ceremony at The Summer Olympic Games in London on 2012.