40 years of Kate

w. painter Lucian Freud before his death

w. Marc Jacobs and Justin Timberlake

w. Johnny Depp by Annie Leibovitz

w. Johnny Depp

w. Johnny Depp at Cannes

w. Gianni Versace

w. Pete Doherty

— Kate Moss. January 16, 1974

In 1990 Kate Moss was a 16 years old schoolgirl and Corine Day was a wannabe photographer, looking for an unknown adolescent model with whom she could work on something fresh. After looking through a pile of portfolios in an agency one day she came across fourteen year old Kate Moss, sought her out, and became her friend. They did photographs in back yards and sitting rooms until, one day in 1990 when the young model was fifteen, they went to Camber Sands to do a session.

When the images they caught that day appeared in style bible The Face (No. 22 / July 1990 / The 3rd Summer of Lov3), they gave birth to the “grunge look” or “junkie chic”. Those Camber Sands images are generally thought to have changed the course of fashion photography. Day said that:  

“The “grunge look” as people called my style, simply showed girls as they really are, without make-up, styled hair, and flattering light”.

Source: Outsideleft.com 

And that's why I like so much Kate's 90s editorials. She looks natural and spontaneous, the face of youth. I'm also fascinated with her chameleonic looks, the way she manages to look in one editorial all chic, British ladylike, while in others she has that raw, rebel, rock style. I don't talk much about fashion in here, but there is something really special on Kate's photographs. She's worked with some of my favorite photographers, those that have created a style, besides working with great fashion magazines. Like Roversi, von Unwerth, Slimane, Corinne Day, McGinley, Leibovitz or Teller. 

I also appreciate her "musical side" since she has collaborated with some of my favorite musicians. Moss appeared on Oasis singles "Don't Go Away" (1998) and "Fade Away" (1994), and on the Be Here Now album (1997), playing tambourine. She also appeared on the videoclips "Delia's Gone" and "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash, on the Primal Scream video for "Kowalski" and in "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" by The White Stripes directed by Sofia Coppola. She has also provided vocals for songs by Primal Scream (the 2003 version of "Some Velvet Morning"), Babyshambles ("La Belle et la Bête") and The Lemonheads ("You're a Dirty Robot"). And prior to breaking up with Pete Doherty, she co-wrote four songs on Babyshambles' second album Shotter's Nation. 

Happy Birthday to her. And you know what they say: Kate Moss will live forever.

Ph.: Bruce Weber, Hedi Slimane, Paolo Roversi, Ellen von Unwerth, Craig McDean, Corinne Day, Ryan McGinley, Sante D'Orazio, Annie Leibovitz, Juergen Teller, Arthur Elgort, Nick Knight, Lance Staedler and Mario Testino.