50 years of Kate Moss: Runways and Controversy

This year we saw the 50th birthday of supermodel Kate Moss, also known as the “rockstar trapped in a supermodel's body”. Born on the 16th of January 1974 the Croydon local was originally scouted at just 14 years old by a model agency in JFK International Airport in 1988. Throughout her career she has been known for many iconic but also some more controversial moments including her Glastonbury moments, her close relationship with designer Alexander McQueen and many of her runways and shoots. 

Credit to Shutterstock

We saw the beginnings of Moss’s career in 1992 with her first runway being the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer show in Milan. Here she was seen wearing a gold brocade suit along with a matching hat. 

Credit to Calvin Klein

Also in 1992 we saw her doing a topless shoot along with Mark Wahlberg for Calvin Klein at only 16 years old. This would go on to be one of her more iconic shoots however in 2022 she revealed herself that she felt ‘vulnerable’ in the shoot due to her age highlighting the need for the protection of younger models in the industry, as so they wouldn’t feel how she felt. 

Throughout the years she has walked on many designer runways, however one of her more noted runways was the Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer show in 1995, where she was seen wearing striped shorts, baby pink heels and a sailors hat while walking topless, while eating a magnum. 

Credit to Vanity Fair

In March of 1996 we saw the beginnings of a long-term friendship between the supermodel and designer Alexander McQueen when she walked at his debut fashion show in New York. 

Their friendship was really highlighted after her involvement in a drug scandal back in 2005, where she was dropped from brands such as Chanel and H&M over the allegations. All charges were dropped against her in late 2006. However during this time of Backlash, at the spring/summer show for Alexander Mcqueen the designer was seen running down the runway at the end wearing a t-shirt with the words, “we love you Kate”. His support during this time helped her to return to the industry and gave her support over all the media backlash. 

Glastonbury between 2003 and 2014 became a place for Kate Moss to set trends before viral trend setting on social media was an option for most. Here she created many different looks including her shorts and waistcoat duo which she paired with her welly’s. This would go on to leave a lasting impact in festival fashion with Welly's being used by most for Glasto and many others for the following years to come. She would pair these garden staples with items including short glittery dresses and chunky belts. 

Credit to MJ Kim (left and middle) Credit to Danny Martindale (right)

By 2013 Kate Moss had worked with many different brands in fashion and beauty and was offered many opportunities with these brands. With this being the year she became the face for St tropez known for there tanning products, where she was seen posing topless for the announcement shoot. 

She has also appeared as of 2020 on the cover of vogue over 40 times. One of the very few supermodels to have done this in their careers. 

Credit to Taylor Hill

Most recently at 50 years old Kate Moss made her debut as a Victoria Secret Angel, with this also being her first appearance on the brand's famous runway show. Here she was seen wearing black a black lace dress with black lingerie underneath and for Victoria's Secret standard, a small pair of black tulle wings. Sticking with her edgy style while walking out to ‘I love Rock’n’Roll’  was seen as one of the highlights overall of the night.