Queen of cool

EVERY work of art starts with a blank canvas waiting for its muse. Sometimes the muse is just waiting to be found, boarding a flight to London from JFK, for example. Such was the case of fashion deity Kate Moss, who at 14-years-old was scouted by Storm Models founder Sarah Doukas en route from a family trip to Barbados. Little would the Croydon schoolgirl know that in her waifish 5” 7.5’ frame and gap-toothed smile lay the makings of the world’s next supermodel, the face of a new generation and the poster girl for its attendant woes.

With more than 25 years of top-flight modelling under her skinny belt, Moss has shed her rolling stone image for a settled life in North London with rocker husband Jamie Hince, daughter Lila Grace and their dog Archie. That’s not to say she’s jacked in the high life for Highgate; quite the contrary. If anyone knows how to stay relevant (without seemingly trying) it’s Moss. Given her distaste for social media and tight-lipped allure, this is no mean feat. So just how does she manage to keep us all in her thrall?

Put simply, she evolves. In an industry predicated on newness and defined by trends, Moss manages to avoid being pigeonholed, or worse, dated. From grunge Kate to boho Kate, rock Kate to festival Kate and, now, yummy mummy Kate; if Moss were a doll, Barbie would have some serious competition. What’s more, she’s managed to achieve this all the while looking as if she fell fabulously out of bed. We want to hate her but we can’t — she’s just too cool.