Ever since she made her debut as a skinny 14-year-old in Calvin Klein jeans, Kate Moss has been queen of the world's catwalks and glossy fashion magazine covers. A fixture on the fashion scene since signing her 1992 campaign with Calvin Klein, she has long been the subject of adulation and tabloid speculation.
From the slouchy-hipped stroll to the wide, watchful eyes, the upturned nose and the cut-glass cheekbones - there's no mistaking Kate Moss - one of the most successful models of all time. It all began when she was discovered in 1988 at JFK Airport, New York, at 14. The legend goes that Sarah Doukas, founder of Storm Models, was returning from a holiday in the Bahamas. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Her first commercial glossy cover was Elle in January 1994, when she was 19. Rosy-cheeked and stunning in a simple red dress, her look epitomised the healthy supermodel era (ironically a couple of years earlier, at 17, she was slated for being too skinny in the controversial Calvin Klein adverts).
Over the years, it wasn't hard to notice that her own personal style seemed to influence an entire generation. And it was much more than her clothes; it was the attitude and spirit that drove that style. And although she seemed like some sort of carefree bohemian, she proved to be the consummate professional.
"But there's a lot more to Kate Moss than meets the eye," says Laura Collins, author of Kate Moss: The Complete Picture, "And I think she's reached the stage where revealing more will make her more engaging. The rarity of her giving interviews has placed a premium on anything she says - it's the same principal as dressing sexily as opposed to trashily - a flash of shoulder is so much more tantalising than a 'let-it-all-hang-out' ensemble.
But it's a myth that this began as a cleverly orchestrated PR plan to create an enigma. The reality is that, in the early days, Kate was so chatty that when she gave interviews she practically told journalists her address."For many years, Kate generally avoided press attention and magazine interviews - until September 2005, when a storm erupted around the supermodel after she was pictured in a tabloid newspaper allegedly snorting cocaine.
Burberry, Chanel and other top fashion brands instantly dropped her, and there was much speculation that she may have finally paid the price for her uninhibited lifestyle. But neither the drugs scandal, exposed by the Mirror, or her relationship traumas seemed to have any effect on the power of Kate. Today, she is the face of countless fashion and beauty advertising campaigns from Versace to Rimmel. She still graces magazine covers worldwide and she's a designer who shifts product like no other on the high street.
Moss is forever being declared an "icon" and the "face of a generation," which speaks volumes about the influence that she has on the fashion world. She is, as fashion historians like to point out, our 21st- century Twiggy. She leads and never follows; takes a trend and wears it her own way; instinctively knows what looks good. So apart from hitting the genetic jackpot, what is her style secret? It's simple. She loves clothes. "I don't intellectualise them," she says. "I just wear what is right for my body, what feels great."
Here are a few highlights from her incredible career...
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