(1974-)

Who Is Kate Moss?

Kate Moss is a British model who appeared in her first cover shot a year after she was discovered at age 14. After being featured in Calvin Klein’s Obsession ad campaign in 1993, she became even more famous and sought-after. During her career, she has appeared on the cover of more than 300 magazines. She also starred in advertising campaigns for many of the top fashion houses. Standing at 5′ 7″ and known for her thin, “heroin chic” style and partying lifestyle, Moss continues to be a fashion and pop culture icon.

Early Career

Moss was born on January 16, 1974, in London, England. Moss started working young after being discovered at the age of 14 at JFK airport in New York. She appeared on the cover of a British magazine the next year, which was her first cover shot and an important career milestone for any model.

Featured in designer Calvin Klein’s scent Obsession advertising campaign in 1993, Moss became even more famous and sought-after as a model. The advertisements featured her partially nude body, putting her slight figure on display. Some found her young, childlike image beautiful while others thought she was too skinny and might be suffering from an eating disorder. Despite any negative comments, Moss continued to thrive professionally.

Career Highlights

During her career, she has appeared on the cover of more than 300 magazines. Moss also starred in advertising campaigns for many of the top fashion houses, including Chanel and Christian Dior. She received a Fashion Icon award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in June 2005.

Personal Life and Other Ventures

Besides being one of the world’s leading models, Moss has also become famous for her tumultuous personal life. She has admitted that she began drinking and smoking marijuana at the age of twelve. She continued with her partying lifestyle as her career took off. Moss did a stint in a London clinic to fight her addiction to alcohol in 1998.

Moss became headline news around the world when photographs of what looked like her doing drugs were published in a British newspaper in September 2005. She was reportedly caught snorting cocaine with her boyfriend Pete Doherty. The lead singer of the band Babyshambles, Doherty has been arrested several times on drug-related charges. Because of the scandal that followed, she lost many of her lucrative modeling contracts with such companies as the clothing retailer H&M.

Moss bounced back quickly. The British police decided not to charge Moss with any crimes, and she later went to the Meadows Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, for treatment. By the next year, she had a slew of new modeling contracts with companies, such as Calvin Klein and Burberry, which had dropped her at the time of the drug scandal. Also in 2006, Moss reached a deal with clothing retailer Topshop to design her own collection of clothing.

In addition to her clothing line, Moss began selling her own brand of perfume called Kate in 2007. She added a second scent, Velvet Hour, the following year, and other such as Love Blossoms followed.

Outside of the fashion world, she has become an icon of pop culture, appearing in numerous rock videos by such artists such as The White Stripes, Elton John and Marianne Faithfull. Her vocals can be heard on some recordings by acts such as Oasis and The Lemonheads.

Relationships and Daughter

After several splits and reconciliations, Moss and Doherty broke up for good in 2007. She began dating Jamie Hince of the British rock band the Kills, whom she married in 2011. Before her relationship with Doherty and Hince, Moss had been engaged to actor Johnny Depp in the 1990s. She also has a daughter, Lila Grace (b.2002), with ex-boyfriend Jefferson Hack, a magazine publisher.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Kate Moss
• Birth Year: 1974
• Birth date: January 16, 1974
• Birth City: London
• Birth Country: England
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: With her incredibly thin, boyish body, model Kate Moss created quite a stir in the modeling world, launching what became known as the waif look.
• Astrological Sign: Capricorn

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Kate Moss Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/celebrities/kate-moss
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 30, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014