Last night, at Barneys, Kate Moss unveiled her new TopShop collection stateside. From her infamous The Face magazine cover, through high profile romances with Johnny Depp, and her present on-again, off-again union with Pete Doherty, various hubbubs concerning her weight and the "waif" look, and her rise as a true supermodel both on the runway and off, Kate has managed to preserve what is becoming increasingly rare these days in our over-saturated celebu-media glare, which is a personal sense of mystery and enigma.
The most we've heard from her has been communicated from her stare out at us from glossy ad campaigns, her gamine horse-y walk in a runway clip, a paparazzi snap of her leaving a hotel, or her many magazine covers. Even amidst her recent scandal involving a photo of her allegedly doing lines of cocaine with a 40-pound note, her public statements bared no inner emotional confessions, no breakdowns, no pleas to forgive - just a simple statement of responsibility.
And so it is though the last twenty years or so of Kate's reign as supermodel, she has communicated to us most clearly through her sense of style. Which, if you ever have seen one of those paparazzi shots, is always spot-on impeccably cool, the epitome of chic. She seems to embody that effortlessness that everyone tries so hard to embody in fashion these days, and she never appears overdone or underdone, just right for the precise moment that snap was taken or the cover was shot.
This morning at Barneys the public will get a chance to hear her speak through her new clothing line, a collection she created for the British retailer, TopShop, known for its affordable, trendy clothes. The pieces were on display last night, and although the focus was mainly on Kate's appearance (yes, she is very gamine and beautiful), quite a few people inspected and assessed the items on the rack, touching the material and coming to their own conclusions.
Paige Novak, a public relations specialist for Major League Baseball, was especially attracted to a cream silk cropped jacket, noting that unlike some other celebrity collections, "this line was very cute, with good quality fabrics - well executed." Constance White, the Style Director at eBay, was impressed with the collection as well, "It's very Kate, very her personal style," she mentioned. "And unlike some other celeb designers she actually wears her stuff," referencing her choice of her own gown to wear at the Met Ball, the night previous. "I think she could leverage this into an actual collection." Pam Diem, a jewelry designer, concurred, "the line is very casual glam, the materials feel beautiful, and it's not just for skinny people!"
The collection is ambitious in its span - ranging from skinny jeans and tank tops, to boho flowing day dresses, cropped jackets, a mod mini-dress, as well as a full-length gown and a few cocktail dresses. It is very spot-on for the modern woman--addressing our need for pieces we can throw on for a casual day, our desire to feel sexy when dressed up, and even a moment when we feel our inner girl needs to express itself through a flower print. She is quite savvy - anticipating all of our moods and need for expression, even when we don't want to speak at all.
The idea that a woman can embody chic in whatever mood she feels is quite innovative. That a woman feels so comfortable in her own skin (and clothes), that no great confessions are necessary, no rationalizations or excuses are needed - how freeing, as well! Maybe we can all take a page from the Kate Moss book of style, and get in touch with our personal enigma, our sense of mystery and quiet responsibility to ourselves to simply be who we are.
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