From the freckled girl sitting on her suitcase in an airport to her glory days as a supermodel, Kate Moss has grown, changed, stirred controversy, envy and admiration. But she has always remained true to her own self, never hiding or pretending to be somebody else. Patrick Demarchelier had a strong feeling about Kate since he saw her in a Dolce & Gabbana photo shoot, naming her ‘the next Twiggy’.
She ruled the 90s fashion scene with her androgynous look, making a name for herself as that tiny not so pretty model but with a certain something that nobody owns. She became the Calvin Klein girl, the grunge poster girl – that every female in London wanted to look like and party with till dawn. Her child like physique awkwardly mixed with her seductive persona, her ability to be unbelievably beautiful or strangely ugly, to be innocent and sinful at the same time, her amazing bone structure – make Kate Moss a perfect face and body. A perfect union of tiny imperfect bits. A bit of crooked teeth in a world of veneers, flat boobs in a reign of silicon, free spirit in a media of PR’s that dictate fake lifestyles. For more on the ’90s fashion – grunge style see my last week’s post.
Her entire rebel, free & careless persona is reflected in a unique fashion that make Kate Moss a Style Icon. When asked about her style she genuinely confesses she dresses according to her moods. No rules. Except she always goes for black when a bit depressed. But other than that she has no interest in trends or how to bring the catwalk styles to the street. Kate wears skinny low waist jeans when everyone else doesn’t, and then she goes for high waist and large ones when everyone else goes for skinny. She loves vintage pieces and altering her clothes – cut offs, shorter hemlines, whatever she feels in the mood for. Always pairing them with what fashion stylists would call a ‘Fashion Don’t’. Her ‘Fashion do’s’ are jewelry (never can have too many) and her mixing of styles.
Kate Moss will be the one wearing a dress when everyone else goes for trousers. And vice versa. She will walk bare foot in a show and never give a damn. She pairs expensive dresses with grunge boots, or tiny stilettos with boyfriend T-shirts. She wears her hair uncombed and tousled on the red carpet, looking gorgeous with no effort. She can go bare or with makeup (charcoal eye pencil apparently applied with no care) and turn heads. She is the definition of glamorously careless, effortlessly cool. A style icon without trying or desiring to be one. I guess all those years of supermodel and mingling with the fashion ones have payed off. Or perhaps it’s in her. After all… clothes can be bought. But style is something you have or you don’t.