British model Stella Tennant, 50, has died. A statement from her family, as per the BBC, reads: “It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on 22nd December 2020. Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed.”
The cause of death has not been announced, but police say there are “no suspicious circumstances.”
Tennant was a favourite of fashion designers, including the late Karl Lagerfeld, who likened Tennant to Coco Chanel, and made her a face of the French luxury brand in the ’90s. She also appeared in campaigns for Hermes, Burberry and Calvin Klein, among others. As of 2019, she was still walking the runway for brands like Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent and Valentino haute couture.
During the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, Tennant walked alongside other British supermodels Lily Cole, Karen Elson, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jourdon Dunn and David Gandyand, and wore an outfit by British designer Christopher Kane.
When she appeared on the December 2018 cover of British Vogue, the magazine noted that “few models have had as sizeable an impact on British fashion [as Tennant].”
The model was a supporter of slow fashion and partnered with Oxfam for Second Hand September, an initiative to draw awareness to the environmental impact of fast fashion. “At my age I think it’s probably quite normal you’re not that interested in consuming, [and not] loving shopping as much as when you’re much younger,” she told The Guardian. “It’s going to take us a long time to change our habits, but I think that this is so obviously a step in the right direction,” she added.
Tennant leaves behind her husband, photographer David Lasnet, and four children, Marcel, 21, Cecily, 19, Jasmine, 17, and Iris, 15.
%5B/caption%5D%0A%0ADuring%20the%20closing%20ceremony%20of%20the%202012%20London%20Olympics,%20Tennant%20walked%20alongside%20other%20British%20supermodels%20Lily%20Cole,%20Karen%20Elson,%20Kate%20Moss,%20Naomi%20Campbell,%20Jourdon%20Dunn%20and%20David%20Gandyand,%20and%20wore%20an%20outfit%20by%20British%20designer%20Christopher%20Kane.%0A%0AWhen%20she%20appeared%20on%20the%20December%202018%20cover%20of%20British%20Vogue,%20the%20magazine%20noted%20that%20%22few%20models%20have%20had%20as%20sizeable%20an%20impact%20on%20British%20fashion%20%5Bas%20Tennant%5D.%22%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_414311%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Stella%20Tennant%20walks%20the%20runway%20during%20the%20Valentino%20Haute%20Couture%20Spring/Summer%202020%20show%20as%20part%20of%20Paris%20Fashion%20Week%20in%20January%202019.%20(Photo:%20Imaxtree)%5B/caption%5D%0A%0AThe%20model%20was%20a%20supporter%20of%20slow%20fashion%20and%20partnered%20with%20Oxfam%20for%20Second%20Hand%20September,%20an%20initiative%20to%20draw%20awareness%20to%20the%20environmental%20impact%20of%20fast%20fashion.%20“At%20my%20age%20I%20think%20it’s%20probably%20quite%20normal%20you’re%20not%20that%20interested%20in%20consuming,%20%5Band%20not%5D%20loving%20shopping%20as%20much%20as%20when%20you’re%20much%20younger,%22%20she%20told%20The%20Guardian.%20“It’s%20going%20to%20take%20us%20a%20long%20time%20to%20change%20our%20habits,%20but%20I%20think%20that%20this%20is%20so%20obviously%20a%20step%20in%20the%20right%20direction,%22%20she%20added.%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_414312%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Stella%20Tennant%20walks%20the%20runway%20during%20the%20Saint%20Laurent%20Womenswear%20Spring/Summer%202020%20show%20as%20part%20of%20Paris%20Fashion%20Week%20in%202019.%20(Photo:%20Imaxtree)%5B/caption%5D%0A%0ATennant%20leaves%20behind%20her%20husband,%20photographer%20David%20Lasnet,%20and%20four%20children,%20Marcel,%2021,%20Cecily,%2019,%20Jasmine,%2017,%20and%20Iris,%2015.){kind=link}