Kate Moss was born on January 16, 1974, in Croydon, Surrey, England. She has become one of the most recognized and highest paid supermodels in the World. Her parents divorced when she was 15. Her lone brother, Nick, was also a model.

Kate Moss is “special” according to Sarah Doukas, the general director of London’s Storm Model Management.

 Doukas discovered Kate at the JFK Airport in New York City in 1988, as she was returning to London from her vacation in Australia with her family. At that time, Kate was still only 14 years old. From that chance meeting, Kate’s name has not only gone on to be one of the most recognizable names in the world, but she has also become one of the highest paid models in the world.

Doukas once said, “Kate is an enigma. It’s not specifically her look, but it’s a combination of her personality and a certain ambiance that made her famous. She has a beautiful face and a magnificent bone structure. I knew the instant that I saw her that she was going to be special. ”

Thanks to her childlike innocence, her beauty and her waif’s body, the famous photographer, Corinne Day, photographed her topless for the cover of The Face magazine, and her career took off.

 Suddenly, the fashion industry realised that Kate was special. Her “Who gives a damn? It’s only fashion! attitude” towards the industry made her stand out from among all the other models. She was something that the world had never seen before!

She was only five feet and seven inches and broke all of the rules of the day’s runway. In a very short period of a few weeks, Kate had become “the Next Big Thing.”

The photographers and the fashion editors from around the world wanted to hire her for their magazines and campaigns.  Steven Meisel was among the first superstar photographers to photograph her. Then came Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Weber, etc. Demarchelier shot a very glamorous version of Kate for the September 1992 cover of Harper’s Bazaar. The entire industry then took notice of her.

Kate Moss’s career went into overdrive in 1992 when she signed the first of her many Calvin Klein contracts.  She appeared alongside Mark Wahlberg in a series of black-and-white shots wearing Calvin Klein jeans–and nothing else. From then on, Kate was a member of the supermodel club.  Her look would also help power the “heroin chic” look in fashion, which was championed by photographer Patrick Demarchelier and his stylist, Carine Roitfeld (now editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris). Coming under fire for the movement, Kate said in an interview, “I don’t do any more drugs than any once else.”

Kate’s face graced the cover of every large magazine: Elle, Vogue (US, Australia, UK, Italie, and Brazil), Allure, W, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Another Magazine, Glamour, Harpers & Queens, Vanity Fair, Arena, etc.

In 1994, Kate met Johnny Depp upon the occasion of her 21^st birthday party, which took place at the red-hot celebrity filled Viper Room, which Depp co-owned. Moss and Depp formed one of the most high profile couples until they broke up several years later in 1998, following their media publicized trashing of a room at the The Cap Hotel in Cannes.

Superstar John Gallianno said that “Kate is a real friend who has never changed since the age of fourteen.” And in 1995, the budding international icon was awarded the “Fashion Personality of the Year” award.

Like her supermodel girlfriends Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Helena Christensen, Kate has been cast in many music videos. Kate played roles in Johnny Cash’s “Delia’s Gone”, Primal Scream’s “Kowalski” and Elton John’s “The Way You Look Tonight”.

She has also appeared on the television screen in the documentary “Models Close-Up”, as well as in popular television shows such as the BBC’s comedy series French and Saunders, and MTV’s Fashionably Loud and the “Choose or Lose” show. She also counts her ads for British Mercury Mobile Phones and of course Calvin Klein spots among her television credentials.

In 1994, Kate earned $2.2 million thanks to her lucrative Calvin Klein deal and high runway fees. One such contracts for the perfume and fashion giant paid Kate $4 million for 100 days of work.

Though Kate was chosen to be the antithesis of what the late 1980s early 1990s supermodel represented (and as head of the waif models’ class), she soon came to incarnate the worst images of what the first group represented. And once Christy Turlington decided to step down as a member of the modelling industry’s trinity, Kate Moss replaced her, quickly picking up the worst habits of the group and even taking them to a new level.

Kate was well known as a partier. Her problems became the issue of many tabloids when she checked herself into a psychiatric hospital alleging she was suffering from “exhaustion”. She later admitted to only drinking to get high before going onto the runways, but not to anything else. However, sources revealed that she was suffering from depression after being dumped by long-time boyfriend, the actor Johnny Depp. Her depression reportedly worsened upon learning that a reconciliation between her and Depp would not happen as his then girlfriend and current wife, the French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis, fell pregnant.

From then on the rumor mills focused on Kate. The attention on her only increased. Speculation took on new ampler because she doesn’t grant interviews. In September 2005, the Sunday Mirror reported that Kate was sexually involved with her best friend, Sadie Frost. Kate had previously sued the Sunday Mirror and won when it reported that she had gone into a coma following a cocaine overdose in Spain.

Further allegations have been made that Kate had ménages à trois with Sadie Frost and her then husband Jude Law on several occasions.  It’s even been alleged that Kate indulges in group sex with Sadie Frost and British TV star Davinia Taylor.

On September 15, 2005, the Daily Mirror ran front page and inside photos claiming to show Moss snorting lines of cocaine at a Babyshambles recording session. At the time, she was involved with the group’s lead singer/songwriter Pete Doherty. Once the dust settled, it was revealed that Doherty’s former manager, James Mullord, was the one who had sold the photos to the Daily Mirror for more than in excess of £150,000.

Kate put an end to her rocky relationship with Pete Doherty in November 2005. To this affect, Doherty said to the London Sun newspaper in an interview that Kate left him because, “I can’t buy her diamonds and my dick is too small.”

With all of this madness going on, Kate’s influential friends including Naomi Campbell (also a former rehab patient), Helena Christensen, French actress Catherine Deneuve, pop singer Robbie Williams, ex-boyfriend Johnny Depp, and the British fashion designer Alexander McQueen all came to Kate’s aid and defence.

Upon her return to the UK on 5 January 2006, the Metropolitan Police summoned Kate to respond to these allegations. Kate ran the danger of losing her daughter. The police interviewed her in London on January 31, 2006, with her lawyer present. No charges were filed against Kate because she made no admission of guilt to the allegations. Kate was really saved by the fact that photographs of alleged drug-taking are not admissible as evidence before the British courts. However, the scandal did cause Kate to lose her deals of the day with Chanel, Burberry’s and H&M.

The faux tirade of anger over Kate seemed over after she gave a not-too-sincere apology. Then as if nothing had happened, she went on about her business of posing for money. Roberto Cavalli signed up her again to represent his spring and summer campaigns. Then, Burberry announced plans to rehire her, and French luxury bagwear maker, Longchamps, retained her. Christian Dior and cosmetics giant Rimmel both confirmed they would continue to employ Moss.

Seemingly back on track in early 2006 after a short rehab, Moss would again find herself yet again at the center of yet another cocaine scandal. Pictures of her snorting at a discotheque of her ended up in magazines everywhere… Poor Kate!

Though, Kate has known her share of scandal, nothing can be taken away from her accomplishments. Her career began as a counter movement to the reigning queens of the catwalk. She then became one of them and even surpassed them in the longevity of her career.

She continues to be a favourite of top designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano.  She has starred in countless campaigns for Calvin Klein (Obsession, CK One and CK Be), L’Oreal, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, David Yurman, Gianni Versace, Burberry’s, Rimmel, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, H&M, Cerruti 1881, Missoni, De Beers Simple Diamond, Dolce and Gabbana…

• Bust: 34B
• Waist: 60.04 cm (26 in)
• Hips: 90.17 cm (35.5 in)
• Shoes: 6.5 UK / 40 EUR
• Eye color: hazel
• Hair color: blonde light
• Height: 172.72 cm (5′ 8″)