Moss, Kate (1974– )

English model. Her waifish beauty became fashionable during the mid-1990s, in contrast to the popularity of the more curvaceous supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer. She became well known as the face of advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein fragrances and remained popular during the 1990s and 2000s, becoming the UK's wealthiest model.

Unusual for her height (5 ft 7 in – short in modelling terms), she nevertheless became a household name during the 1990s, modelling for top fashion labels such as Chanel and Versace and appearing in advertisements for such major brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry, and L'Oréal. She also appeared on popular British comedy series including French and Saunders (1996) and Blackadder (1999), as well as in pop music videos, such as Elton John's ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ (1997) and Primal Scream's ‘Kowalski’ (1997). Her own fashion collection debuted at the Topshop chain of UK clothing shops in 2007.

She was born in Croydon, in London, England. At the age of 14, she was approached by a modelling agent at JFK airport in New York City, where she was travelling home with her family after a holiday in the Bahamas. After a number of shoots for teenage magazines, her breakthrough was posing topless for the cover of the British style magazine The Face.