KATE MOSS

Biography

Katherine Moss, who has become one of the most recognized and highest paid supermodels to emerge from the '90s, was born in Croydon, Surrey, England, on January 16, 1974. Kate's entry into the fashion industry all started in 1988, when she and her family were in JFK Airport on their way back from a vacation in the Bahamas. The then 14-year-old Kate caught the eye of Sarah Ducas of Storm Agency, who approached her. This chance encounter was the launching pad of Kate's hugely successful career.

kate moss in vogue
Kate signed with three different modeling agencies -- Women in New York, Marilyn in Milan and Storm in London. Her first modeling job was a topless appearance on the cover of the British magazine, The Face. After that, Kate was on her way to becoming the latest "It" girl, whose face and body would show up everywhere. The long list of magazine covers she has graced include Allure and Harper's Bazaar in the U.S.; Arena, Elle and The Face in the UK; as well as the American, British, Australian, Italian, and Brazilian editions of Vogue.

kate moss in calvin klein ads
If someone couldn't not recognize Kate Moss after the slew of magazine covers she has graced, they surely should know who she is from all the advertisements she has appeared in. Kate became a staple in Calvin Klein ads, such as those for fragrances like Obsession, CK Be and CK One. The man behind these controversial ads, Calvin Klein, can be credited with launching Kate Moss' career in the early '90s. In addition to Calvin Klein ads, she has also appeared in ads for Burberry, Cerruti 1881, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, L'Oreal, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Kate has also strutted her stuff on the catwalks for such big-name designers as Calvin Klein, Chanel and Versace. Moss also made her way onto the small and big screens. She appeared as herself in several episodes of the British comedy series French and Saunders in 1996, as well as in movies like Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped (1995), Catwalk (1996), Beautopia (1998), and Original Copies (1999). In 1999, she appeared as Maid Marian/Queen Marian in Blackadder Back & Forth.

kate moss in music videos
In keeping with the tradition of supermodels being cast in music videos, such as Linda Evangelista and Helena Christensen, Kate Moss wins the prize for the most music video appearances. She has been in Johnny Cash's "Delia's Gone," Primal Scream's "Kowalski" and Elton John's "The Way You Look Tonight."

Also leaving her mark in the publishing world, Kate released a book called Kate: The Kate Moss Story, which is a collection of her favorite pictures of none other than herself. Although Kate's career has been multi-faceted to say the least, not all has been rosy in Kate Moss' story. Mostly known for her unhealthy image (her rail-thin figure refueled the "heroin chic" waif look of the early '90s and she is known as a heavy smoker), Kate checked into the Priory Clinic in 1998, suffering from exhaustion.

kate moss makes headlines
Having been romantically linked to fellow partier Johnny Depp for four years, Kate also dated Calvin Klein photographer Mario Sorrenti. Recipient of the VH1 Award for Model of the Year in 1996, Kate Moss was unquestionably one of the most successful and controversial models of the '90s, having earned an income of approximately $10,000 per day. On September 29, 2002, she became a mother with the birth of daughter Lila Grace, whose father is Kate's ex-boyfriend Jefferson Hack. During her pregnancy, she posed nude for a near life-size portrait called "Naked Portrait 2002," which sold for approximately $6.5 million at Christie's auction house.

kate moss is named no. 58 in 2008 top 99
In the years leading up to 2007, Kate Moss was the subject of much tabloid fodder. In July 2005, Kate won a lawsuit against the British tabloid The Sunday Mirror for "falsely claiming" that she slipped into a coma after consuming cocaine. Unfortunately for Kate, in September 2005, the British newspaper The Daily Mirror printed pictures of her sniffing cocaine with her boyfriend Pete Doherty, the frontman of the former British punk band The Libertines. As a result, H&M, Chanel and Burberry canceled Kate Moss' contracts, and many were left wondering if the supermodel's career may be over. The Sun reported in September 2007 that Kate's contracts are down 18 to 11 from the previous year. Shortly after the story ran, Kate Moss became the Spring 2008 face for Donna Karan, Yves Saint-Laurent and Roberto Cavalli.

Though there were reports of a matrimonial union between Kate Moss and Doherty, the couple split in July 2007. If the rumors that she's dating Jamie Hince, of The Kills, are false, she should be available. Kate Moss' enduring bad-girl image, which is always a turn-on for men, finally planted her on our Top 99 Most Desirable Women list in 2008