Tatjana Patitz

Tell Us Your Story.

I’m a model and have worked in the fashion business for a long time. I was born in Hamburg, Germany and grew up in Sweden. I lived in Paris for a while, and then New York for a bit. Now I live in Santa Barbara, busy being a mom to my son. I also have two horses, some dogs and a kitty. In my free time, I ride horses and go to the beach with my son.

Q: What do you love about living in Santa Barbara?

Nature feeds me. It grounds me and it’s necessary. I’m not a city person, like a big city. I can’t live in a high rise and a tiny apartment without having access to nature. I also think that’s what pulled me to move to California, so nature is crucial. The sea, I love the sea. The ocean, just having that nearby is really lovely. In Sweden I grew up near the sea as well so, I think that had some influence on all those things.

Q: How has the fashion world changed since you started in the business?

I think fashion in general has a resurgence. In the 90’s there was a lot of 50’s stuff and then the whole hippy bohemian 70’s. It’s all kind of mixed, even today with different eras of fashion. It all kind of comes back around.

There were a lot of things that were different then because technology wasn’t what it is today. That’s the first thing, and plus when you’re in an era or in a time, you don’t know you’re in it. You don’t realize until you look back in hindsight that you were in that time.

My big cause is African wildlife, especially elephants. There are so many variables: poaching, urbanization, climate change. There is a crisis happening between people who are just trying to survive, and the wildlife who need their habitat. The human population is growing fast. It’s a global issue with wildlife period, because the population of people is growing so fast.

Q: Why elephants?

They’re highly intelligent. They have a real family structure built around matriarchs. Of course they can be very dangerous, but they are also some of the most emotionally intelligent animals. They are amazing.

Q: What do you like to wear?

My personal style philosophy is that I should feel good in what I’m wearing. I like natural fabrics. I have to feel comfortable in what I have on, even if I’m in an evening gown. My wardrobe is mostly natural earth tones and whites.

Q: Where do you look for inspiration?

Nature, of course. A really good place for inspiration for me has been Pinterest, because you can pull up all kinds of things: from cooking to decoration to fashion to photography.

Q: If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?

I would tell my younger self to relax more, not to take things so seriously and have a lot of fun in the process because, after all, life is fun.