Tennant, who shunned traditionally feminine aesthetics and sculpted an iconic, edgy image that was rarely seen on the catwalk, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 50.
Her family said Friday she was having “a bad time,” describing her as a “beautiful soul.”
“We have been humiliated by the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support since Stella died,” they said in a statement to PA Media. “She was a beautiful soul, adored by an intimate family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman, the creativity, intelligence and humor that touched so many.”
“Stella had been ill for a long time. So it is a matter of our deepest sorrow and despair that she felt unable to continue, despite the love of those closest to her,” the family added.
“Grieving over Stella’s loss, her family renews a sincere request that her privacy continue to be respected.”
Stella Tennant at the London Fashion Awards in 2019 Credit: David Fisher / Shutterstock
Tennant was one of the supermodels who represented the British fashion scene at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.
But after the heyday of his career, he occasionally debated the pace of the industry and finally took a step back to focus on his family.
“The agency didn’t really know what to do with me,” she told the fashion publication in the Document Journal in 2018, discussing the shift from fashion magazines to a more traditional look in the 2000s. ”I thought,“ Okay. , this is no surprise. I’ve had my little moment and fashion has gone on, and I’ll go on too. ”
“I’ve given it my all, all my energy and time, and now we’re going to leave and have a family together,” he said.
Several notable fashion figures mourned Tennant’s death. Designer Stella McCartney wrote, “Your soul and inner beauty 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, told Tennant “a class act in every way.”