Kate Moss at 50
During the summer of 2013, a group of people, including myself, gathered at a photo studio in north London to shoot Kate Moss for the cover of Esquire. The photographer, Craig McDean, and the stylist, Katy England, were also present. I felt very fortunate to be a part of such an incredible moment in my career as a magazine editor. Observing Kate Moss pose for the camera was like watching a master artist at work, such as Picasso painting or Maradona dribbling. She is the greatest of all time. In addition to the stunning photos taken by Craig and Katy, I wrote a passionate tribute expressing my admiration for Kate. As she celebrates her 50th birthday, we continue to hold her in the highest regard. Happy birthday, Kate!
She looks different now, with a more feline appearance and less of an angelic look. Her heavy lids have become even heavier and her once flashing eyes now burn. She is no longer a slim and delicate girl, but instead has become more curvy and womanly. Her skin has a tawny tone and her movements are more relaxed. Her past experiences have removed all signs of innocence, but certain things about her remain the same. Her bone structure still catches the light, and her pout is just as impudent as before. She still wrinkles her nose in a disarming way, and she has not tried to correct her distinctly British teeth. Although she has changed, her power to seduce still remains. Those who grew up with her and alongside her have not stopped desiring her, and she has continued to give us reasons to do so.
Kopelson quotes Simon Doonan, the creative director of a famous store in New York, talking about Kate's background. He says that she comes from a working-class family, just like him, but he's from a different town. Although this might be true, it's not the whole story because Kate is also a very wealthy supermodel and socialite. She's even been called the most beautiful girl in the world by Vanity Fair. So she's not really like Doonan at all. David Bailey, on the other hand, gives a better description of Kate. He says that she's the kind of girl you would love to have as your neighbor, but unfortunately, that's not going to happen.
It's very complicated because the people who know and work with her don't tell you everything. They can't confess after all the hard work, expensive attempts, and partially successful tries to capture her beauty and essence. The truth is that no single photo, video, painting, sculpture, or essay can show how amazing and confusing she truly is. In person, she's much more than any representation of her. I've met her a few times, socially and professionally, and I always became a mess in her presence. It's like she's even more attractive and fascinating in person than in da Vinci's painting. Who knows, maybe she really is?
Kate once quoted Jean Cocteau, saying "the more you make me visible, the less visible I become," referring to the many photos and artworks created of her. Even artists and photographers with exceptional talent, such as Lucian Freud, Marc Quinn, Tracey Emin, Chuck Close, Richard Prince, and Banksy, have only captured versions of her. Fashion photographers who have worked with her repeatedly, like Mario Sorrenti, David Sims, Nick Knight, Glen Luchford, and Craig McDean, have also captured different versions of Kate. Despite all these representations, Kate Moss remains elusive.
Even with all the money they spend to borrow her coolness, attitude and style, big fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Burberry, Versace, Chanel, Topshop, Rimmel and Virgin Mobile can never truly own her. She's only ever on loan. What distinguishes her from other models is that girls don't just want to own the clothes she's paid to wear, but also the looks she creates for herself and her friends for occasions like parties, shopping trips and festivals. These are the styles that are most ardently imitated.
Today, Kate's popularity has only grown. She's more successful, famous, and in-demand than ever before. We already know the basic facts of her life: she's five feet seven inches tall, has brown hair and hazel eyes, and grew up in rowdy south London with a travel agent for a father and a barmaid for a mother (who were divorced). At just 14 years old, she was discovered by Sarah Doukas of the Storm model agency while on a family vacation in the Bahamas, with Doukas being struck by Kate's "great bones." Despite still being in school, Kate attended castings in her uniform and spent weekends dancing with designers, pop stars, and PRs in the late Eighties London nightlife scene. She even crashed on the floors of photographers, stylists, and hairdressers.
In 1990, Kate Moss appeared on The Face magazine's cover for the second time. She was photographed on a black and white beach, and she smiled and scrunched up her nose in celebration of the third summer of love, which was related to acid house music. The photographer who captured these photos was Corrine Day, who made Kate famous in reality when she was 18 years old. Corrine took a series of anti-fashion fashion photos, including one image that showed Kate looking awkwardly at a white wall with fairy lights while wearing a pink singlet and a baggy G-string with a crucifix and a casual gaze. This particular photograph is now a part of the permanent collection at the V&A.
Suddenly, she became an embodiment of the grunge culture of the 90s, appearing in advertisements for Obsession and Opium fragrances and being associated with the controversial trend of "heroin chic" in fashion and pop culture. This made her a target for criticism, including accusations of promoting negative body image in young girls, endorsing paedophilia and pornography, and being blamed for England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup (although this claim may not be true). Her image was displayed on billboards worldwide, including her iconic Calvin Klein ad with Marky Mark. Despite being seen as a departure from the glamorous supermodels of the 80s, she had become one of them, being photographed by esteemed photographers like Richard Avedon, Bruce Weber, Peter Lindbergh, and Herb Ritts. She was also praised by top designers like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen and adored by influential magazine editors, all of whom were fellow Brits.
Thus, she became famous during the rise of celebrity culture and gained the title of "style icon." Her appearance was widely imitated and had a significant influence globally, even in the unlikely trend of Wellington boots. She lived in New York with her then-boyfriend Johnny Depp and formed close relationships with legendary figures such as Keith Richards, Hunter Thompson, and Marianne Faithful. Stories about her own wild lifestyle began to circulate. She returned to London, where she played a leading role in the city's party scene during its heyday, known as Britpop and frequented hotspots such as the Met Bar and Groucho Club. She was a popular figure in the coolest city in the world.
She once dated Jefferson Hack, who is a publisher and magazine editor, and they had a child named Lila Grace in 2002. After that, she got into a tumultuous romantic relationship with Pete Doherty, a musician who struggles with addiction, but they didn't end up getting married. Her most notorious moment happened in 2005 when she was featured on the front page of the Daily Mirror appearing to consume cocaine, which solidified her status as someone who enjoys excessive drinking and drug use in the eyes of the public.
There was a time when her customers pushed her away and excluded her from their campaigns, which made it seem like she was on the brink of collapsing. However, she underwent rehabilitation and returned even more powerful, resilient, and prosperous. She launched her personal brand at Topshop in 2007, and I was present at the opening ceremony. The store on Oxford Circus was overrun by teenage girls clamoring to get a piece of Kate, demonstrating the effect she has on them.
From 2011 to 2016, she tied the knot with Jamie Hince, a member of the indie band, the Kills. They split their time between Highgate, where they lived in a house once inhabited by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Gloucestershire. Despite what the media conveyed at that time about their lavish "exclusive" parties and "exotic" vacations, it's apparent through her frequent appearances in global women's magazines, where she continues to grace editorials on fashion and advertisements, that she remained devoted to her work.
What additional information do we have regarding Kate? We are aware of her passions, including fashion, music, photography, and exploring new destinations. We also have insight into her social life, including the close-knit group of friends who have joined her on these adventures and embraced the trendy London social scene.
Although we don't know much about Kate in person, I have had the opportunity to talk to her on a few occasions and can share my limited experience. Although she can seem intimidating at first glance due to her fame and cool demeanor, she also has a unique ability to lower her guard and showcase her sense of humor through her infectious laugh and salty wit. Overall, I find Kate to be friendly and enjoyable to be around. She embodies the best qualities of someone who is polite and respectful, yet also knows how to have fun and act mischievously.
I'm not sure about Kate's thoughts or emotions regarding certain matters. I couldn't say what her aspirations or anxieties are, what cracks her up, or what keeps her from sleeping at night. She has deliberately decided not to disclose these particulars to her audience. (Naturally, I tried to arrange an interview, but she declined without any hesitation.)
Kate Moss is not active on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. She does not prioritize establishing connections with her audience or participating in reality shows and talk shows, aside from the occasional charity appearance or TV commercial role. Kate Moss adheres to the principle of not complaining or explaining, a motto introduced by Johnny Depp, which has been beneficial to her anonymity and mystique. She prefers to remain an enigma and keep her personal life private.
Kate Moss: A Tribute
Kate Moss Book: A Fashion Icon's Life
Back in 2012, she collaborated with her friends and colleagues, Fabien Baron, Jefferson Hack, and Jess Hallett, to create a coffee table book titled Kate: The Kate Moss Book. This book costs a whopping £50 and contains 450 pages showcasing her work up until that point. Within these pages, Kate transforms into various personas, including virgin, whore, saint, sinner, and more. The book features photos of Kate as different characters like Eve, Marilyn, Bardot, and Bowie, among others. Interestingly, she revealed that her favorite photo in the book is captured by Juergen Teller, an unpublished picture from 1998. This picture shows Kate in bed, without any makeup, with her pink hair spilling over white pillows, while her face pokes out of the duvet. Unlike other pictures, in this one, Kate is playing a part that reflects her real self. She notes, “It’s kind of rebellious to be yourself”.
When introducing Kate and describing her overall outlook towards work and life, she shared a conversation she had with her mom that stuck with her. Her mom said that life can’t always be enjoyable, but Kate disagreed and still believes in her response to this day: “But why can’t it be?”
Kate Moss is important to me not just because she is a famous model and a frequent target of tabloids. What sets her apart is her representation of something greater. Her continued success, her influence over people across generations and genders (especially young women), is a thorn in the side of conservative forces who want women in the public eye to conform to certain standards of meekness and respectability. Kate Moss is an antidote to the dreary, safety-obsessed strictness of some moral authorities who seek to eradicate joy from our lives.
Don't be fooled, people who love excitement: nowadays, our society is focused on morality and controlling what people do. We are controlled by people who express outrage, monitored by people who censor things, and criticized by people who are judgmental and strict. These people are often nosey and rude, just like Rooster Byron, the scandalous protagonist in Jez Butterworth's play Jerusalem. (By the way, Rooster is on vacation in Barbados with Kate Moss, so he can't be with us.) As a response to this atmosphere of conformity imposed upon us, we are usually meek and obedient. As a nation, we prefer comfort and formality. We pay attention to our diets, restrain ourselves, wake up early, put a lot of effort at work, and then sit and watch the news, ready to express our displeasure and condemn other people.
However, in every era, there are individuals, well-known or not, who work beyond the limits of what is deemed acceptable. They do so without being tied down by bureaucracy, off the grid and without embarrassment. These people, both male and female, conduct themselves in ways that we often dream of doing in our wildest fantasies. We desire to be like them if only we were more courageous, liberated, gifted, alluring, less conservative and ordinary.
In her book, Kate talks about how her strong tendency to rebel has actually made her stronger. She says that even though society may dictate that she should care about certain things, she doesn't feel the need to do so.
As Kate Moss ages, people may try to control her and make her a national treasure. They might even give her a government pin for her contributions to fashion. However, the writer hopes they don't change her wild nature and make her too respectable. Kate Moss represents excitement, mischief, and fun. Even though she may advertise for big brands, her most important role is the girl who doesn't care and doesn't follow the rules. Dressed in sunglasses with a determined expression, Kate Moss will always be the girl for us.
