Nyima Ward, a model and son of supermodel Tish Goff, has died. He was 27.
According to his online obituary, Ward died on May 29. The cause of death was not disclosed. Born Nyima Lee Ward on Jan. 2, 1997 in New York City and whose first name in Tibetan means "the Sun," Ward's being remembered as someone who "lived fiercely, loved deeply and made memories with the kind of fervor that only a young man who never met a stranger could do."
Ward, who made his modeling debut after turning 18, modeled for a number of brands, including Anna Sui and Vivienne Tam. It was his mom and her partner, DNA Models owner David Bonnouvrier, who encouraged Ward to get into modeling. Ward's dad, Aaron Ward, also modeled.
"Both of my parents were models. My dad did a few Calvin Klein campaigns back in the day," Ward told W magazine in 2017. "And my mom started dating David [Bonnouvrier, owner of] DNA [Models] and then they've just been trying to get me to sign forever and I was always like, 'Nah, nah.' And then I turned 18 and I was like, 'Might as well try it.'"
A lover of traveling, animals and spending time in the water, Ward made his runway debut at Sui's fashion show in February 2015. Just 23 years prior to that, Ward's mom had also walked at Sui's fashion show.
Makeup artist Aaron de Mey paid tribute to Ward in an Instagram carousel post featuring a photo of Ward gracing the page of a magazine.
"My dearest Nyima 🫅🏻 Rest in peace. 🕊️," de Mey captioned the post. "I absolutely adore you…always an adventure, always fun, always sensitive, always kind. Sending deepest love to your Mom, Dad and your many friends and family."
Goff, 47, captivated the modeling world in the 1990s and appeared in a number of international magazines. She appeared in numerous high-profile campaigns, including for Louis Vuitton, Versace and Christian Dior, among others, and she'd often bring Ward with her to her shoots. He would later appear alongside his mom in Vogue.
"We shot for American Vogue when I was 16 or 15," he told W. "And we got a cool shot. She was in a really crazy dress and I was in a Ralph Lauren suit and we were both floating in the air. It was cool. We’ve shot a bunch of times when I was a kid, too."
Ward is survived by his mother and father.
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