Speaking of shortfall, when I met up with Kate Moss in London, where she was being photographed by Mario Tetino, I had to laugh at the thought that she was always considered the waifish riposte to glamazons like Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford. I mean, come on, Kate was always pretty tall for a girl. She has been at the top of her profession for two decades, so she clearly has an X factor that sets her apart. I’ve never been able to tell why she’s the muse of so many artists and photographers; though, to her canny credit, she’s done a wonderful job of preserving her mystique by rarely giving interviews. Like Diana, Princess of Wales, Kate felt the speaking voice didn’t quite gel with the physical illusion. I was expecting something Sarf London–ish (not quite fishwife, but getting there), so imagine my surprise to hear a deep, sultry murmur. I was seduced. And, like Veruschka, there was also the face-as-roadmap moment.
But that only emphasized what we’ve been missing in our models, super and otherwise. They are, after all, quite literally the face of fashion. Miuccia Prada championed the ugly chic we’ve been living with for years now. So what do you think it means that she has picked Linda Evangelista, la suprema of the über-supers, to front her advertising campaign for fall? With Steven Meisel taking the pictures! They’re a team every bit as evocative as Veruschka and Avedon.
And in one of those intangible instances of synchronicity that bemuse fashion-watchers, Fall ’08 seems to offer a career rebirth to other great faces of a generation ago: Claudia Schiffer in Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo, Stephanie Seymour in Loewe, Christy Turlington in Escada. In her campaign for Dsquared2 (also photographed by Meisel), Amber Valletta could almost be Veruschka. The world has glorified witless youth for too long. Now, it’s almost thrilling to see the apotheosis of well-seasoned beauty. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
EDITOR, ELIO IANNACCI
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