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Model Stella Tenant Dead At 50

By Modupeoluwa Adekanye

23 December 2020   |   5:14 pm

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Model Stella Tennant has died suddenly five days after her 50th birthday, her family has confirmed. Her family said in a statement: 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.…

Model Stella Tenant Dead At 50

Model Stella Tennant has died suddenly five days after her 50th birthday, her family has confirmed. Her family said in a statement:

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. Her family asks for their privacy to be respected. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.

A darling of the 90s fashion scene, Stella was known for her androgynous looks and aristocratic background.

In August it was reported by the Daily Mail that she had split from her husband David Lasnet after 21 years of marriage.

The model married the French photographer at the height of her fame and they had four children together, who are now in their late teens and early 20s.

David later retrained as an osteopath and the couple raised their family in the Scottish Borders, near Stella’s parent’s 16th Century estate.

Stella was the granddaughter of the 11th Duke of Devonshire and Deborah Mitford, one of the famous aristocratic Mitford siblings.

After attending school at the renowned St Leonards in St Andrews, Stella caught the attention of photographers Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber – thanks to her 5ft 11 frame, chiselled features, and septum piercing, considered an unusual look at the time.

Meisel booked her for the cover of Italian Vogue in December 1993 – off the back of which Stella landed a Versace campaign in Paris the very same day, kick-starting a hugely successful career in modeling.

Stella went on to make her name on runways and magazine covers around the world and starred in campaigns for the likes of Calvin Klein, Burberry, and Chanel – where she became the muse of designer Karl Lagerfeld after he signed her exclusively to his French fashion house according to The Mirror.