How Kate Moss Became a Pop-Culture Icon

Scouted at just 14 years old at New York’s JFK airport, after a year of modeling she became Calvin Klein’s muse and, together with Mark Wahlberg, is the face of this American super-brand. Moss became intriguing because she was the first major model who did not resemble the typical glam supermodels of that time, such as Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell or Claudia Schiffer. Moss became a symbol of the grunge culture of the nineties and an atypical model that became synonymous with heroine chic. At only 170 centimeters, the British woman became a rarity as one of the first models who did not meet the then-imposed norms of what a model should look like. It didn’t really matter since Moss has become the ultimate fashion chameleon.

She wore the complex creations and crinolines of John Galliano with ease, as easily as the minimalist suits of Miuccia Prada. Vivienne Westwood sent her down the runway in 1993 with a Magnum ice cream in hand, while Marc Jacobs closed the last Louis Vuitton show with Moss strolling nonchalantly with a cigarette in hand. One of the reasons for the great success of the British model is the cool factor. Moss is not only cool, she seems like she invented cool. Her carefree approach to fashion and style is the reason for the worldwide success she has achieved.

ALL ATTENTION ON KATE

With the advent of the Internet, the public’s attention was focused on Moss and her unique style of dressing, which earned her the status of a style icon. As well as her very casual appearance, her fashion style also reflected this relaxation. Pieces that didn’t seem to go together on Moss made perfect sense. She channeled sophisticated minimalism, she was one of the first women to wear a nude dress , her passion for vintage wardrobe made her famous among trendsetters, and she became famous mostly for her rock and roll style and uniform consisting of jeans, heels and a leather jacket. Moss wore clothes bought at flea markets with equal confidence as those that had just seen the light of day from the catwalks of London and Paris. Philip Green was one of the first who wanted to emulate the style of Moss, so he hired her for millions to do a capsule collection for Topshop , in order to convey her impressive style to the British public. The first collection was created in 2007 and was one of fourteen that the model had with the British brand. The reason for the incredible success is that thanks to her unassailable style, Kate Moss was the ultimate influencer, in a world where social media didn’t exist. Her collection for Topshop was a democratic way of communicating with the masses who got exactly what they wanted – a part of the Kate Moss style, based on garments that are wearable, stylishly relevant regardless of the period and surprisingly easy to fit. Moss was a pioneer in buying inexpensive clothes, found either at London flea markets or in vintage stores, a trend that is now being promoted as a way to shop smart . After Topshop , there were collaborations with the jewelry brand Messika, which offers a youthful view of the world of diamonds, the Scandinavian brand Anine Bing also approached Moss for a collaboration on a capsule collection, and in 2022 Moss became the creative director of Diet Coke, a role that before her, fashion greats such as Karl Lagerfeld and Jean-Paul Gaultier had.

BOYS, BOYS, BOYS

As well as her appearance and fashion style, Kate Moss has attracted attention with romantic relationships with some of the most desirable men in Hollywood. The first significant relationship happened with the doyen of photography, Mario Sorrenti, who photographed her for the Obsession perfume campaign of the Calvin Klein brand. This was followed by a three-year relationship with Johnny Depp. The couple met in the then trendy cafe in New York, Café Tabac . Moss was 20 years old at the time, and Depp was eleven years older. The relationship is believed to have culminated in an engagement, with the break-up following Depp’s directorial debut The Brave, starring Marlon Brando. A three-year relationship with the publisher of Dazed magazine Jefferson Hack was crowned with the birth of a daughter, Lila Moss, who, like Kate, started modeling at the age of 15. Perhaps the most turbulent relationship Moss had was with controversial Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty. Moss then became a regular at Glastonbury Festival, and her fashion choices of ripped T-shirts, denim shorts and rubber boots (Glastonbury is famous for its mud) attracted attention and became a fashion trend. Unfortunately, the lifestyle of Doherty, who was known for consuming narcotics, attracted much more attention, and in 2015, a picture of Kate Moss using cocaine went around the world and caused an avalanche of reactions. As an integral part of the 2006 collection, Alexander McQueen created a hologram of Kate Moss, which ended the show, as a sign of support due to the unfortunate event. Moss’ only marriage was to The Kills frontman, Jamie Hince, and the relationship lasted for eight years. After that, there was a relationship with Count Nikolai von Bismarck.

KATE AND ART

Not only did the British woman captivate the fashion world, Moss became a muse for many contemporary artists. The mysterious Banksy is known for his graffiti works and the use of satire as a form of communication with the public. He had a much softer approach in 2005 when he decided to do five works, inspired by Andy Warhol’s Pop Art techniques, and the central figure was, you guessed it, Kate Moss. Banksy interpreted her as a pop-culture icon, similar to what Warhol did with Marilyn Monroe. A year later, artist Mark Quinn created a sculpture called The Sphinx, which represents Kate Moss in a yoga pose with her legs behind her head. Quinn described the statue as a combination of the Indian goddess Shiva and the Rebirth of Venus, and he attracted further attention when he later cast the same sculpture in pure gold. Mysterious and elusive, Kate Moss is a modern version of the Sphinx. Throughout his career, photographer Chuck Close has photographed the greats, from Bill Clinton to Brad Pitt. His massive portraits are known for representing a person in their raw state, without glamor or pomp. In the same year that the statue of Kate Moss was made, the photographer immortalized the fashion diva without any makeup, with pores and freckles, as a woman, not a fashion fantasy.

About The Author

Alessandra Signorelli

Signorelli is an Italian journalist writing about travel, lifestyle, wellness and beauty. She works in the Editorial Board of George V Magazine. She is based in Rome.

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