Tennant, who avoided traditionally feminine aesthetics and carved out an iconic, edgy image rarely seen on the runway, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 50.
Her family said on Friday that she was “not well for a while”, describing her as a “beautiful soul.”
“We have been humbled 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 a close family and close friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humor touched so many.”
Stella had been unwell for a while. So it’s a matter of our deepest grief and despair that despite the love of her loved ones she couldn’t go on, ”the family added.
“In mourning the loss of Stella, her family renews a heartfelt plea to continue respecting their privacy.”
Stella Tennant at the 2019 Fashion Awards in London Credit: David Fisher / Shutterstock
Tennant was one of the supermodels to represent the British fashion scene at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.
But after the heyday of her career, she occasionally discussed the pace of the industry and eventually took a step back to focus on her family.
“The agency didn’t really know what to do with me,” she told fashion publication The Document Journal in 2018, discussing the shift from fashion magazines to more traditional looks in the 2000s. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s no surprise. I’ve had my little moment, and the fashion has moved on, and I’m going too.’ ”
“I gave it my all, all my energy and time, and now we’re going to start a family together,” she said.
A number of notable fashion figures mourned Tennant’s death. Designer Stella McCartney wrote, “Your soul and inner beauty surpassed outer perfection, Stella. May you ride high above all of us on the most perfect horse, forever in peace.”
And Naomi Campbell called Tennant “a class act in every way” in an Instagram post.