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Kate Moss revealed how a teenage photo session alerted her to the dangers of fashion.
Moss told the BBC how, during the session, she found herself with a man who wanted to take pictures of her for use in a catalog of bras.
Moss said she was only 15 years old at the time, and that the man had asked her to take off her bra.
She said the experiment had “honed her intuition” and that as a result she might “spot the error from a mile away”.
“I was regarding fifteen, and he told me I had to take my shirt off.”
“I took off my shirt, and I was really shy regarding my body, and he said, ‘Take off your bra. I felt suspicious so I packed my things and ran away.'”
Moss was discovered when she was 14 and signed a contract with the Storm modeling agency in 1988.
Moss, 48, recounted how she went solo for modeling auditions in London, guided only by a map of the city’s streets.
Moss has become one of the most famous faces in the fashion world, and is still sought following by fashion designers and fashion magazine editors around the world.
In 1992, she launched her first major Calvin Klein campaign with actor Mark Wahlberg, who was known as Marky Mark at the time.
But Moss said her portrayal of lingerie doesn’t bring back good memories.
The model said that being photographed topless made her feel “vulnerable and scared”.
She said she was suffering from severe anxiety before filming, and that she was advised to use Valium to help her get through the experience.
Moss is now the owner of a modeling agency. And her daughter, Lila Moss, became one of the models she represented. Moss said she was able to give her daughter some advice regarding the fashion industry.
“I told her you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“If you don’t want to do that photoshoot, if you don’t feel comfortable, if you don’t want to model, don’t do it.”
She explained that she takes care of her models and ensures that the agent is always with them in the photo sessions to intervene if anything “inappropriate” is detected.
Moss also spoke of standing with her boyfriend John Galliano, the designer who was convicted of racial abuse in 2011, and her ex-partner, actor Johnny Depp, during the recent defamation trial in the United States.
“I believe in truth and I believe in fairness and justice,” she said.
“I know John Galliano isn’t a bad person – he was an alcoholic, and people switch up when they get drunk, and say things they wouldn’t consciously say.”
“I know the truth regarding Johnny. I know he would never have kicked me down the stairs. I had to say that.”
Perhaps one of the most famous photographs taken of Moss at some point in her life was the controversial suggestive photos taken by Corinne Day for British Vogue in 1993.
These photos were criticized and sparked a media debate regarding the so-called “heroin elegance”.
“I think I’m a scapegoat for a lot of people’s problems,” Moss said. “I’ve never had anorexia.”
She added, “I’ve never been addicted to heroin. I was skinny because I didn’t eat at photo shoots or fashion shows, and I was always skinny.”