British supermodel dead at 45 as celebs pay tribute to 'unforgettable' star
A British supermodel who rose to fame in the days of Cool Brittania in the Nineties has died, her heartbroken friend has revealed. Model Jade Parfitt shared a series of pictures of Georgina Cooper on Instagram, writing: "Goodbye beautiful girl" alongside a white heart. "Devastated to share the news of George’s passing. One of the funniest and naughtiest, never mind most beautiful friends, we all wanted to hang out with George backstage."
She added: "Sending so much love to her son, family. And friends," signing off simply: "Gone too soon." The news was met with sadness by other models from the era including Jodie Kidd and Helena Christensen, who replied to the post with three black hearts.
Model Erin O'Connor wrote: "Ahh George…. You were an incredibly loving and kind human-being. We all admired and loved you so much for the warmth and generosity you brought to us all. Beautiful soul, Mum, woman. Rest in peace."
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Georgina, who was from London, appeared on the covers of fashion magazines such as The Face and in the pages of American Vogue and some of her shoots were remembered among the posts shared by her friend Jade.
Many other followers expressed their grief in their own tributes paid to the much-loved star, with one saying her "unforgettable and beautiful smile" would be "etched in my mind forever". Another wrote: "Oh my God, I’m speechless. She was such a life force and I can remember just laughing and laughing whenever I worked with her."
Others spoke about her son and the other family she leaves behind, with one writing: "I am devastated at hearing this news, thinking of her son Sonny and her family."
Georgina started in modelling back in 1992 at the age of just 13 when her mum entered her in the the Elite Look of The Year contest. She went on to rise to high acclaim in the Cool Britannia period of the Nineties, which she described as being "very cool as it was very much about being yourself" in an interview.
She explained in an interview with the Cultural Omnivore in 2018 that she had become a mother and was working in hospitality. She said she would do anything for anyone needing help, explaining: "I work in the hospitality industry, and I love it because I’m a people person.
"After I had my son I just couldn’t bear to leave him alone and I wanted to be there for him. I tried to continue modeling but it broke my heart when I had to leave him for work. I focused on modelling assignments in London but my life was at a crossroads and I decided that Sonny came first."
