There was a time when Kate Moss was just about everywhere. When she modeled for Calvin Klein in 1993, it made her an international star. And her trademark waifish look ended up influencing an entire generation of new models.
But Moss also had some scandals involving drugs and alcohol. And in recent years, she has mostly been off the radar. Scandal or no scandal, though, you’ll be amazed to learn the real reason why you no longer hear about Kate Moss.
Early scandals
As she became more successful, Moss wasn’t afraid to celebrate her success with drugs and parties. And that lifestyle caught up to her in more ways than one in 2005.
That was the year that the Daily Mirror published photos apparently showing Moss using cocaine. She spent some time in rehab after this and then established a policy of avoiding interviews whenever possible.
Ultimately, this scandal didn’t harm her career and might have even helped it. Moss was working with Burberry and Calvin Klein soon after and also took on additional work. And her bad girl reputation combined with avoiding interviews gave Moss a mystique that others found appealing.
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From runways to magazines
Eventually, Moss decided to extend her influence beyond the runway. To this end, she became a fashion editor for British Vogue in 2013.
It seemed a natural fit. As former editor Alexandra Shulman told Women’s Wear Daily, Moss has a “depth of fashion knowledge and understanding of what makes a wonderful image will be exciting to see used in the pages of British Vogue.”
It made a lot of sense. Who knows more about modeling than a model? And Moss used this new position to pivot her career into unexpected directions.
Kate the designer
Moss was always more than just a pretty face. And as her fame increased, she used the opportunity to begin designing clothing for other women to wear.
For example, Moss went back to work for Topshop in 2007 as a designer, and knocked it out of the park. In fact, her entire collection managed to sell out on the very first day!
Moss was so successful that she teamed up with Topshop again in 2013 to design a 40-piece collection. And her motivation was nice and simple. As CNBC reports, her press release at the time mentioned that Moss had “really missed being involved in the design process, and working with the team at Topshop.”
Starting her own agency
The story of Kate Moss is the story of a woman who progressively took control of more and more of her career. And this was quite clear when she left Storm Models in April 2016. The agency that had represented Moss for 28 years, since she was 14 years old.
Many thought at the time that Moss was retiring from modeling. Instead, she opened her own modeling agency (the Kate Moss Agency) that September.
And while she has been selective about signing models, it is clear Moss is not yet done influencing the worlds of modeling and fashion.
A reluctant interview
One of the reasons that Moss has remained so successful is that she is a realist at heart. And she certainly revealed this in 2017 when she gave a rare interview to Vogue.
Eventually, the conversation turned to why Moss stopped giving interviews all those years ago. According to Moss, “I don’t give interviews because I’m so s*** at keeping my mouth shut when I do.”
This kind of honesty from a celeb is genuinely refreshing. And the simple truth is that refusing most interview opportunities has done nothing to slow her career down.
Rumors of visa issues
Despite all this success, you don’t see Kate Moss very often. In addition to avoiding interviews, she seems to avoid popping up in any paparazzi photos much more than the average celeb.
Why is she keeping such a low profile? In 2013, Page Six reported that Playboy wanted Moss to come to Los Angeles for a 60th-anniversary event but Moss was having “visa issues.”
However, Playboy later said that they were planning the event for London and not Los Angeles. So the idea that Moss has kept a low profile due to visa issues remains nothing more than speculation.
Becoming a mother
Not every reason for Moss keeping a low profile has to be its own scandal. In fact, she has likely stayed out of the spotlight because she is so busy being a mom!
In a 2018 interview with Megyn Kelly Today, Moss discussed what it’s like parenting a teenage daughter. “It’s the best thing,” Moss said. “It’s my favorite thing.”
And unlike many parents and children, these two have only become closer over time. Moss told Kelly that she and her daughter are “hanging out like as friends ’cause she’s getting older — we can go shopping together.” Laughing, Moss declared “It’s really fun.”
Who needs parties and paparazzi when you have an awesome daughter?
A creative director
In that same interview with Megyn Kelly, Moss revealed her next major career move. She now serves as the creative director for the Japanese skincare company Decorté. And thanks to her fame and success, she quickly became the public face of that company.
As Moss told Kelly, this new role helps her explore modeling from an entirely new angle. “I love being on that side of the camera and being creative with the photographer and stylist and getting an image together that represents the brand.”
While Moss doesn’t do much modeling in her new role, she also told Kelly she didn’t plan to retire from modeling anytime soon. So, while you may not have seen much of Kate Moss lately, her success as a model, entrepreneur, and creative director means that you certainly haven’t seen the last of her.