Kate Moss

More than a model, a supermodel. Indeed, an icon.

The years pass, but there is no new talent in the world of the catwalks who is not inspired by her: Kate Moss, “The Queen of cool“, a character with timeless charm and tormented loves.

Life, work, passions and controversies: let's immerse ourselves in the universe of Kate Moss, muse of stylists and embodiment of the ideal supermodel.

Biography

Born in Croydon (England) on 16 January 1974, Katherine Ann Moss – known as Kate – is the daughter of Peter, a travel agent and Linda, a barmaid. The girl was noticed, when she was just fourteen, by the co-founder of the fashion agency Storm Sarah Doukas who immediately noticed her small features but above all her determination, which would allow her to make her way into the Olympus of supermodels.

Moss thus took her first steps in the glossy but cruel world of fashion in 1990. Although she did not represent the archetype of the ideal model - instead embodied by divas such as Claudia Schiffer or "the body" Elle Macpherson - the Englishwoman soon became the icon of an unconventional beauty, with rock connotations, thanks to the photo shoot that appeared in the English magazine “The Face“.

A widespread success, which opened the doors of the main fashion houses, from Calvin Klein to Gucci, from Burberry to Dolce & Gabbana, without forgetting Stella McCartney, Bulgari and even the make-up brand Rimmel. Moss becomes the cover girl of important fashion magazines: not only “The Face”, but also “Vogue“, “Vanity Fair“, “W“.  Moss was also included in the prestigious volume “10 Women“, a collection of black and white shots of the most popular women by the well-known photographer Peter Lindbergh. Another important artist has also linked his career to the supermodel: Mario Testino, who made Kate Moss one of his favorite muses.

In 2014 Kate Moss also posed for the well-known magazine “Playboy“, giving some unveiled shots that made thousands of men from all over the world dream.

Advertising campaigns

Kate Moss is best known for being the face of Calvin Klein. In 1995 a campaign linked to the promotion of the perfume Obsesion, which saw the supermodel appear half-naked, sparked numerous controversies, especially in the USA. The echo of this controversy was so strong that the then US President Bill Clinton launched an investigation at the end of which the campaign was withdrawn.

The model was also the testimonial of the autumn/winter 2013 campaign of the fashion house Versace and, in the following year, she took part together with her colleague Cara Delevingne in the launch of the fragrance My Burberry. The following year he became a testimonial for Balenciaga, sharing the scene with the Dutch supermodel Lara Stone.

Career as a stylist

In May 2007 Kate Moss decided to cross the ideal fence that separates the profession of model from that of stylist, signing an exclusive collection with the British chain of stores Topshop. The collection, designed to be accessible to all budgets, includes not only clothing but also accessories such as bags and belts. In October of the same year, Moss renewed its partnership with Topshop by creating a collection of underwear .

The launch of the campaign of the Kate Moss line was singular: the model, in fact, played the role of "human mannequin" behind the window of a Topshop store in Oxford, to the amazement of customers and passers-by.

Agencies

During her career Kate Moss has collaborated for numerous fashion agencies, such as:

• Storm Model Agency – Londra
• D’management Group – Milano
• Riccardo Gay Model Management – Milano
• Models 1 Agency – Londra
• Marilyn Agency – Parigi
• IMG Models – New York
• Women Management – New York

Private life

Kate Moss's loves have hit the main gossip magazines around the world. The model has experienced troubled relationships to say the least, first of all the one with the singer Pete Doherty, which will cause her many problems.

Among the hearts that the beautiful Kate Moss has "captured" include the "pirate" Johnny Depp, the photographer Mario Sorrenti and the publisher of the magazine "Dazed" Jefferson Hack father of the model's daughter, Lila Grace, born in 2002.

Until 2007, Moss will be a regular couple with Pete Doherty: a turbulent relationship, which will put not only her love life to the test, but also the career of the top model, as we will soon see. From 2011 to 2016 Moss will be married to The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince. After the divorce, Moss will make official the relationship undertaken in the last periods of her union with Hince, the one with her current boyfriend, Count Nikolai von Bismarck, photographer.

The Pete Doherty “case”

In 2005 a hurricane hits Kate Moss's life. In September of that year the “Daily Mirror” decided to publish shocking images portraying Moss while consuming cocaine with her partner Pete Doherty.

The news quickly became public knowledge and cost the English top model some very important work contracts, primarily the one with Stella McCartney. But it is above all her private image that is devastated: the British model therefore decides to call a press conference, immediately apologizing to fans, professionals and colleagues for the terrible image offered in those photographs.

This "slip" does not, however, prevent her from withdrawing the title of Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2006. It is also important to underline that many of Moss's friends and colleagues took the model's side: Naomi Campbell, Johnny Depp, Helena Christensen, Catherine Deneuve, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior.

Awards

Kate Moss has received numerous nominations at the main events dedicated to fashion, also obtaining important recognitions. Here are the main awards obtained by the supermodel:

• 1995 British Fashion Awards: “Fashion Personality dell’anno”
• 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards: “Model of the Year”
• 2000 British Fashion Awards: “Model of the Year”
• 2005 CFDA Awards: “Fashion Influence Award”
• 2007 British Fashion Awards: “Model of the Year”
• 2007 NME Awards: “Sexiest Woman”
• 2008 Glamour Women of the Year Awards: “Imprenditrice Dell’Anno”
• 2009 Fashion Museum: “The Dress of the year – most beautiful dress of the year”
• 2009 Cosmetic Executive Beauty Awards: “Best New Women’s Celebrity Fragrance (Velvet Hour)”

Other activities

Not just a model and stylist: Kate Moss has also left her mark in other fields, from music (both as a performer and as the protagonist of video clips) to the theatrical, without disdaining appearances on the big and small screen.

As regards theatrical appearances, Moss will take part in 2006 in "Little Britain", a radio show which became television and was subsequently transposed into a live version.

Kate Moss ne video

• 1990 An Emotional Fish – Lace Virginia
• 1991 Stage Dolls – Love Don’t Bother Me
• 1994 Johnny Cash – Delia’s gone
• 1997 Primal Scream – Kowalski
• 1997 Elton John – Something About the Way You Look Tonight
• 2001 Marianne Faithfull – Sex with Strangers
• 2002 Primal Scream – Some Velvet Morning
• 2002 Har Mar Superstar – Brothers and sisters
• 2003 The Tropics – White Stripes Vs Kate Moss
• 2003 The White Stripes – I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself
• 2006 Johnny Cash – God’s Gonna Cut You Down
• 2008 Primal Scream – Uptown
• 2012 George Michael – White Light
• 2013 Paul McCartney – Queenie Eye

Kate Moss and music: singles

• 1998 Fade away – single Don't go away (Oasis, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, also on the album Help, 1995)
• 2002 Some Velvet Morning feat. Kate Moss (Primal Scream)
• 2005 Beauty and the Beast feat. Kate Moss (Babyshambles)
• 2007 Deft Left Hand (Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Whitnall)
• 2007 Baddie’s Boogie (Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Whitnall)
• 2007 French Dog Blues (Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Ian Brown)
• 2007 You Talk (Kate Moss, Pete Doherty)
• 2009 Dirty Robot feat. Kate Moss (Lemonheads)

Filmography and TV appearances

• 1992 – Inferno (unpublished in Italy): TV film, directed by Ellen von Unwerth
• 1995 – Catwalk (unpublished in Italy): Documentary, directed by Robert Leacock
• 1995 – Unzipped: Documentary, directed by Douglas Keeve
• 1998 – Beautopia (unpublished in Italy), directed by Katharina Otto-Bernstein
• 1999 – Blackadder Back & Forth (unreleased in Italy): Short film, directed by Paul Weiland
• 2016 – Absolutely Fabulous (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie), regia di Mandie Fletcher
• 2016 – Zoolander 2 (Zoolander 2), directed by Ben Stiller
• French and Saunders (TV)
• Models close-up (Documentario, TV)
• Mercury Mobile Phones (advertising campaign)
• MTV’s choose or lose campaign (con Iggy Pop)

Quotes

Below we report some of the most well-known quotes of the supermodel Kate Moss:

• “Being tired is a real shame“
• "If you are yourself, no one can copy you. Being yourself is almost an act of rebellion"
• “The nude is a tool that confers power“