What never fails to sur
What never fails to surprise me is the lack of time I have for Kate Moss. I’ll admit it—I’m bored of her. And as every decade goes by wherein she miraculously gets another 10 years older, we’re expected to applaud her survival and repeat an overzealous summary of her career.
Even today as I tap the letters ‘k-a-t-e’ into google, I’m met with a barrage of news stories on her recent 40th birthday party and how it wasn’t ‘that bad’, according to other model friends. Not that bad?
What does that even mean? Are we to congratulate her that she didn’t end up face down on the plush carpet of Claridge’s á laher 30th birthday party? Well done, Kate. Turns out you’re ‘not that bad’ after all.
I suppose the real reason I don’t care about this wisp of a woman, is her disproportionate display of true beauty.
Before you cry ‘jealousy!’ hear me out. I’m not blind—I know she’s pretty and doing bloody well for a 40 y/o woman. But forgive me if I don’t find alcohol-abused skin, cigarette stained teeth and bleached hair instantly attractive. She replaced the supermodel greats of the 90s (Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson and Claudia Schiffer to name but a few) in order to usher in a ‘grunge’ phase of fashion.
Say no
Late fashion photographer Corrine Day described her look as ‘dirty realism’ and from her work, it’s easy to see why. Grimey, freshly fried blonde hair and hip bones protruding, she ushered in the size 0 phenomenon, causing a wave of controversy unlike anything the British fashion scene had ever seen before.
Nothing may taste as good as skinny feels, Kate, but I’d rather eat my body weight in McDonald’s than look like you.
Appearance aside, what Moss stands for is everything I abhor about this false celebration of real endurance. In 2012, she recounted in Vanity Fair of how she was bullied into posing topless for the pictures featured on her first ever cover shoot for magazine, The Face.
She recalls that, “they were like, if you don’t do it, then we’re not going to book you again… so I’d lock myself in the toilet and cry and then come out and do it.”
Could the face of 90s culture sensation ‘heroin chic’ not find it within herself to say no? At the end of the day, getting her nips out in exchange for a 6 figure salary and an iconic model status seems like a pretty good deal to me- 16 years old or not.
Someone else’s turn
In the 90s, you were lucky to have escaped sexual assault anyway (according to the Daily Mail), let alone a pretty PC photo shoot that set her up for a 34 year long career (one that is still going on).
Her recent collaboration with McQueen put me in a state of shock. Seeing the pictures for the first time, had me recoiled in horror. How must we put up with this constant mockery of success? In the words of fellow clinger-on, Madonna ‘I don’t wanna hear, I don’t wanna know.’
Can we not celebrate a newer fresher face and let someone else have a go?
Take the new ‘it’ girls for example—a personal favourite of mine is Chloe Nørgaard who, although still embodies size 0 chic, breaks the mould with her signature harajuku hair and stand-out street style. A nu-rave cool kid through and through, she’s utterly different and quirky, and in my eyes that is a good thing. However, we’re still subject to fashion model culture as per Miss Moss.
For example, the face of Chanel, Cara Delevingne, accompanied Lagerfeld down the catwalk for AW14 last week and yet is slowly being outed for her own ongoing drugs problem. Some things, as they say, really don’t ever change.
So move on over Kate and let someone else take a turn. With any luck, you’ll be flat on your face come your 50th birthday, with an even more ridiculous hangover and accompanying yearly income.
And you’ll still be boring me to tears.
What do you think? Is it time Kate Moss stepped away from the catwalk? Have your say in the comments section below.
Image: Michel Haddi
