Linda Evangelista is Michael Schmidtstill holding on to memories of her dear friend Tatjana Patitz.

Celebrating what would have been Tatjana's 57th birthday, Linda took to Instagram on May 25, sharing an assortment of black and white photographs. They included candid close-ups of Tatjana, alongside an image of the supermodel duo sharing a makeup moment.

"Happy birthday Tatjana," Linda, 58, wrote. "I know your sweet soul is with the angels. I still have not come to terms with your passing. You will be forever loved, forever missed and forever in my heart."

Tatjana died in January at age 56 due to breast cancer, her agent Corinne Nicolas told CNN at the time.

Aside from being good friends, she and Linda were an integral part of the '90s supermodel revolution, together with Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell. They etched themselves into pop culture history by featuring in George Michael's iconic "Freedom '90" music video.

Tatjana's journey in the world of fashion started in Stockholm, when she was just 17. A third-place finish at her first modeling contest caught the industry's attention, but it was her association with photographer Peter Lindbergh that catapulted her career. He was responsible for capturing her beauty in several memorable photographs, including the famous 1988 photo "White Shirts: Six Supermodels, Malibu."

Throughout her career, Tatjana worked with brands like Chanel and Vivienne Westwood. Her final catwalk appearance came in 2019 at Milan Fashion Week.

Reflecting on Tatjana's legacy, Anna Wintour, Vogue's Global Editorial Director, lauded the German-born model's unique allure.

"Tatjana was always the European symbol of chic," Anna told Vogue on Jan. 11. "She was far less visible than her peers—more mysterious, more grown-up, more unattainable—and that had its own appeal." 

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