Top model Stella Tennant took her own life, her family confirms

Tennant, who shunned the traditionally feminine aesthetic and sculpted an iconic and bold image rarely seen on the catwalks, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 50.

Her family said on Friday that she had been “ill for some time”, describing her as a “beautiful soul”.

“We have been moved by the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support since Stella’s death,” they said in a statement to PA Media. “She was a beautiful soul, adored by close family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humor touched so many people.

“Stella had been ill for quite some time. So it is a matter of our deepest sadness and despair that she felt unable to continue, despite the love of her loved ones,” the family added.

“In mourning the loss of Stella, her family renews a sincere request that their privacy must continue.”

Stella Tennant at the Fashion Awards in London 2019 Credit: David Fisher / Shutterstock

Tennant was one of the models who represented the British fashion scene at the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.

But after the peak of her career, she occasionally discussed the pace of the industry and eventually stepped back to focus on her family.

“The agency didn’t really know what to do with me,” she told fashion publication Document Journal in 2018, referring to the evolution of fashion magazines to more traditional looks in the 2000s. ‘thought,’ Well, that’s no surprise. I’ve had my little time, and fashion has moved on, and I’m going to move on too. ‘”

“I gave everything, all of my energy and my time, and now we’re going to go and have a family together,” she said.

A number of notable fashion figures have mourned Tennant’s death. Designer Stella McCartney wrote: “Your soul and inner beauty have surpassed outer perfection, Stella. May you ride above us all on the most perfect horse, eternally at peace.”

And Naomi Campbell, in an Instagram post, called Tennant “a class act in every way.”