Tennant, who avoided traditional female aesthetics and carved out an iconic, edgy image rarely seen on the catwalk, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 50.
Her family said on Friday that she had been “ill for some time” and described her as a “beautiful soul”.
“We have been humiliated by the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support since Stella’s death,” they said in a statement to PA Media. “She was a beautiful soul, worshiped by a close family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humor touched so much.”
“Stella has been ill for some time. It is a matter of our deepest sadness and despair that she was unable to continue, despite the love of those closest to her,” the family added.
“In grief over Stella’s loss, her family renews a sincere request that respect for their privacy continue.”
Stella Tennant at the 2019 Fashion Awards in London Credit: David Fisher / Shutterstock
Tennant was one of the supermodels who represented the British fashion scene at the conclusion of the 2012 Olympics.
But after the heyday of her career, she sometimes discussed the pace of the industry and eventually stepped back to focus on her family.
“The agency did not really know what to do with me,” she told the fashion publication, the Document Journal, in 2018, discussing the move from fashion magazines to more traditional looks in the 2000s. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s not a surprise. I had my little moment and fashion moved on, and I’m going to rally, too.” ‘
“I gave everything, all my energy and time, and now we’re going to have a family together,” she said.
A number of striking fashion figures lamented Tennant’s death. Designer Stella McCartney wrote: “Your soul and inner beauty have 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 action in all respects” in an Instagram post.