Kate Moss turns 42: Incisive and defining quotes from one of the original supers

(Getty Images )

Kate Moss continues to be one of the most influential models in the world, establishing and ending trends just by stepping outside her front door.

A career spanning almost three decades has spawned countless appearances on the cover of almost every fashion bible, innumerable appearances on the runway, designing stints, editing and a recent foray into acting that culminated with Moss emerging from the River Thames clutching a glass of champagne in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Moss's life as one of the original supers has been punctuated by a series of highs, lows and survived controversies that have ultimately only served to cement her status as an icon. But the reticence to speak in public and refusal to join social media that made her such an enigmatic figure has softened over the past few years, and Moss has given a number of interviews reflecting back on her ascent to international superstardom.

Below are some defining quotes from one of fashion’s most enduring and unique muses.

“I don’t know. ’Cause it’s the Daily Mail? They just get on everyone’s tits, don’t they?”

The Daily Mail has dedicated many an article on its “sidebar of shame” to gleefully analysing images of Moss’s face for signs of ageing. But Moss is unfazed by the attention the newspaper pays to her appearance, as this quote demonstrates.

(Moss in 1994)

In 2011, Moss surprised everyone by marrying Jamie Hince in a conventional church ceremony attended by Mario Testino, John Galliano and other long-time friends. She told Vanity Fair a year later: “I thought we might all burst into flames, all the crap we’ve done”.

Jamie Hince and Kate Moss at Glastonbury in 2011 (Getty Images)

Moss is one of the few superstars who appears to actually enjoy herself, regardless of the scrutiny paid to every aspect of her life. One characteristic that many of her friends have attested to is her ability to turn a casual drink into a party stretching for days.

“People that don’t know me get Mossed," she explained in 2012. "It means, I was gonna go home, but then I just got led astray. In the best possible way, of course. I mean, it’s always fun, and a good time.”

Her response to being told she still “looked good” despite her reported years of hell-raising only served to back this up. “I haven’t partied since… last Friday!”

Moss and Naomi Campbell walk with Donatella Versace, head of the Gianni Versace fashion house, at the end of Versace's 1999 Spring/Summer haute couture show (Getty Images)

Her recent interviews have also highlighted her down to earth attitude and acute self-awareness, qualities seemingly rare among fashion's elite.

“I'm from Croydon and if you get above your station someone will f****** knock you down. Especially when my mum is my mum and my dad is my dad and my brother is my brother. You can't go around with airs and graces at all and I would never want to. When I see people do that I think they look like c*****."

Kate Moss pays tribute to David Bowie wearing a tee with his face on it (Rex Features)

Moss's arresting beauty is often discussed during any retrospective piece about her. But the supermodel should also be recognised for being a shrewd, intelligent and perceptive businesswoman in an industry where models are branded with expiry dates, often at an age when most careers are just taking off.

"People think your success is just a matter of having a pretty face. But it`s easy to be chewed up and spat out. You`ve got to stay ahead of the game to be able to stay in it."

Kate Moss in Glastonbury 2005. (Getty Images)

Her ambition also extends past this life. She told Hello! in 2005:

"In my next life, I’m going to be a rock star. I was a ballerina in my last life. No, a stripper in my last life and in my next life, I’ll be a ballerina or a rock star, depending on how this one goes."