Recent Kate Moss interview, also with Sir Philip Green (owner of Arcadia, Topshop’s parent company), conducted by New York Magazine. The Topshop New York City flagship store will be opening in SoHo in April 2009, making the Kate Moss Hearts Topshop clothing collection even more accessible to American shoppers who want to emulate Kate’s iconic fashion style.
The entire transcript of the interview with Kate Moss and Sir Philip Green, owner of Topshop’s parent company Arcadia, follows:
Kate Moss: I’m not a fashion designer. I’ve never been to school or been trained. I can’t draw a dress, really. But I know what I like.
Philip Green: It’s not easy. Before Kate, there wasn’t anybody we’ve ever wanted to work with. I mean, when you look at what Kate’s done over 25 years …
Kate Moss: Twenty-five? I’m not that old!
Philip Green: If you look at what Kate’s done over those twenty years, 25 Vogue covers?
Kate Moss: Twenty-seven. That’s British Vogue. My agent told me the other day. The next one is less than half that.
Philip Green: I think from Kate’s point of view, becoming a designer was a natural progression. Kate was at a particular moment …
Kate Moss: I love clothes. I know how clothes should fit and feel. When I would go to shoots, stylists would say to me, “You really should do something. You should take it another step.” But it never felt right until I met Philip and the whole atmosphere of Topshop.
Philip Green: This wasn’t something we needed to do, either of us. We didn’t need to make money that week, that month. Make Kate a part of our family. The types of things Kate had to learn about—these things take time.
Kate Moss: I’ve never done it before. Now I know what is possible and what we can do, which is a lot. It’s really just making things that I want: the little sundresses that I always wanted, the little bus-stop dresses that I always cut too short and now I can’t wear anymore. Now I make them a couple of inches longer. Even before I started modeling, I was cutting up flares and making miniskirts. When I started modeling, I used to just go to jumble sales and have bags and bags of clothes and then the stylists would use them on shoots. Harper’s Bazaar asked me to edit the magazine— the whole magazine!—as a fashion editor. I went into the office and, oh my goodness, there was no way. It wasn’t right.
Philip Green: Most people don’t know how to work with people like Kate.
Kate Moss: It’s true. They try to make you into something you’re not.
Philip Green: She calls me up and says, “Uncle Phil, I want to go to Cornwall on Wednesday.” And I say, “Fine, go to Cornwall.”
Kate Moss: But it was for work!
Philip Green: Fine. It’s got to flow. If Kate thinks it’s just a workhorse job, you end up with a rail of product you hate.
Kate Moss: It’s not just turning up and doing a job. Because turning up on a modeling call—I still enjoy it, but it doesn’t get me going.
Philip Green: In spite of all that party living, you look good.
Kate Moss: I haven’t partied since … last Friday!
Philip Green: We’ve taken a decision of saying we’re going to change nothing for New York. I think with the climate what it is …
Kate Moss: People want a dress which is not a thousand bucks! With Topshop, you can go in and … you’re on budget, major … you can go in and not have to spend fortunes. I didn’t want to be charging $3,000. The thing is … I know clothes. I just want a dress that fits and makes me feel good and makes me feel pretty. I don’t really think about the masses.
Philip Green: It is all about feel.
Kate Moss: Instinct.
[A packet of pictures arrives: Kate with a police escort, with Prince Edward …]
Philip Green: We went to the palace.
Kate Moss: Buckingham Palace! With our police escorts! We were going the wrong way round roundabouts and things … I was like, “Do you want to give me a ride home?” It was so much fun, we were looking at the crown jewels. With Prince Edward.
Philip Green: It was a private viewing. At the Tower of London.
Kate Moss: Look at me and the prince. HRH! That’s what I called him. HRH.
Philip Green: Then we went back to Buckingham Palace for a private dinner. It was fun. It was a fun night, wasn’t it, Kate?
Kate Moss: It was hilarious. I’d been before. I was one of the 200 women who succeeded in the face of adversity. Honestly. That’s what it said on the card. So it was like, Everybody here comes from a council estate! I mean, I don’t think Dame Judi does … but … you know …
Philip Green: We do have fun. I was in this Mexican restaurant with my wife. In Soho. This girl looks at me, and she says, “Where are you from?” and I say London, and she says, “Oh, well, you’re nice,” and she says, “Do you want to come to The Box?” and I said sure. Then I get this text message: Kate’s in New York. So I invite her, too.
Kate Moss: And I’m like, “What’s The Box?” I get in there, he’s in the front row. I was shocked! This girl—oh my goodness. She got out of a Russian doll and she was ballerina-ing around and then she got all of these other dolls out of her … something. And then she took this little doll and oh! It was very odd.
[Kate fingers a dress on a rack.]
Kate Moss: Isn’t this dress great? It’s not like a rip-off designer thing. It’s not a knockoff. When I’m not modeling, I’m in here. I’m working! When I’m not getting booked for modeling anymore, it’ll be like, “Oh, look! She’s here at nine o’clock in the morning!”
Philip Green: Yeah, right. You don’t know there’s two nine o’clocks in the same day! Nine o’clock in the morning …
Kate Moss: I do, actually! I’ve been very busy.
Philip Green: We’re going to try and do lingerie for next season.
Kate Moss: I’ve got a clear idea of what I want for lingerie. I’ve just started wearing bras. It’s a miracle. Not today, but I have been. Great timing for my lingerie collection. I’ve just grown breasts.
Philip Green: Have you? I noticed.
Kate Moss: I am a woman now! It’s true. No, honestly, I’ve never worn a bra in my life. Ever! It’s so awful, even my friends are phoning me up and saying “Are you pregnant?” And I’m like, “No! I just put on a couple of pounds, and they went in the right place.” Isn’t that weird? And how perfect for lingerie.
Philip Green: That’s how it works. You’ve got to be lucky.
Kate Moss: Now I can fill a B-cup. My friend does say I’ve got horseshoes up my ass. I’m like, What does that mean? It means I’m lucky—I’ve got a horseshoe up my ass.
Philip Green: We started in May ’07. We put $22 million, $25 million into it, and after a few seasons, suddenly Kate comes in here.
Kate Moss: I called a meeting.
Philip Green: She comes in here: “Uncle Phil, I want to see you.”
Kate Moss: You were shocked. Your jaw was on the floor. You were like, “You’re calling a meeting with me?” I was like, “Why, haven’t we got enough? Why is it sold out?” It all sold out in the first day.
Philip Green: She was, “Oh, we haven’t bought enough.”
Kate Moss: I’m not just like playing around. I’m trying to be a businesswoman as well. I am!
Philip Green: Let me tell you something about how this all works. Last summer, we’re in Ibiza. And I have not been in Ibiza for five years.
Kate Moss: Oh, shush.
Philip Green: So I decide to go to Ibiza, and this is how freaky it is …
Kate Moss: The tide had come in, and we were completely stranded. Like refugees. And then I saw this massive boat go speeding past and I was like, That’s Uncle Phil, I know it is.
Philip Green: Two minutes later, the phone rings: “Uncle Phil. We’re shipwrecked.” And there’s Kate. On a rock. Seriously!
Kate Moss: It is like that, though. It just happens.
Philip Green: It is funny. We do have fun. It works well. Everybody’s happy.
Kate Moss: We get the job done.
Philip Green: If I hate it, I say, “Oh, God, it’s horrible.”
Kate Moss: He does not beat around the bush. I’d much prefer someone to say “Oh, that’s shit.” So it’s really nice, honestly. And my name has become a brand, an entity. “I want to have the world of …?” Can you imagine? [Laughs] Like Ralph Lauren!
[Messenger arrives with a floor-length Alexander McQueen green velvet dress.]
Philip Green: This was a charity fashion show. I bought this for a present for Kate.
Kate Moss: It is amazing. Look at it. It is so beautiful.
Philip Green: I paid a lot of money for that. They wanted to auction it, and I said I’m going to buy that for Kate as a present. I think you should wear that to the Metropolitan ball.
Kate Moss: I can wear it now that I’ve got it. Oh, Uncle Phil. Thank you.
Philip Green: And then if you get drunk, there’s about three yards we can cut off. It is hellishly long.
Kate Moss: I can just chop a bit off. I love a train.
Philip Green: Put it on.
Kate Moss: What, now?
Philip Green: Yes. Go on, put it on.
Kate Moss: I’m dying to put it on.
Philip Green: That’s what we do.
Kate Moss: Clothes are my favorite thing in the world. I love clothes. It’s my favorite thing in the entire world.
[Kate puts on the dress].
Philip Green: Kate! It’s a total showstopper. Come on. Let me see.
Kate Moss: It’s gorgeous.
Philip Green: Turn around.
Kate Moss: Oh, it is gorge. I need a few alterations.
Philip Green: It’s better than amazing.
Kate Moss: Okay. But my boobs are too big!
Philip Green: Oh my God! How exciting! Now you’ve got titties. How exciting.
Kate Moss: My boyfriend might not like them. I’m a bit worried.
Philip Green: Well, they are a bit bigger than they were, aren’t they?
Kate Moss: Massively bigger. Anyway, enough about my boobs. Let’s get back to business.
Philip Green: You know Kate is going to be one of the hosts at the Met ball with Marc Jacobs.
Kate Moss: Marc Jacobs, I’m hosting with him. Marc’s going to have a creation for me.
Philip Green: No, you’re going to wear your own dress. You’ve got to have your own creation.
Kate Moss: Philip … you’ll not have me wearing Marc? Marc is one of my oldest friends, you know that?
Philip Green: You’re wearing your own dress.
Kate Moss: You are terrible! Indiscretions. Beyond. No model has ever hosted it before. I’m the first model. It’s the muse. Wonderful theme … I am the muse!
Philip Green: You’re definitely wearing your own dress. It’s not even in debate. If they want me to fly you there, it’s your own dress, kid.
Kate Moss: You don’t have to fly me there. I’ve got air miles!
Philip Green: I’m taking you there.
Kate Moss: I do! I’ve got air miles.
Philip Green: Here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll make two or three dresses, and if they’re up to the mark, you’ll wear it, and if not, we’ll make a sensible decision.
Kate Moss: After the last one, I went with Stella—we’ve been friends for a very, very long time. And the thing is, we stood in line for an hour or something to say hello to the meet and greet in the receiving line. Donatella is in front of us, and Francesco Clemente was behind us with his wife, who I knew from back in the day. And we’re going, I can’t believe this. You can’t smoke. You can’t have a drink. When we got to the receiving line, this lady came up and said, “We’re sorry, they’ve all gone to their tables.” We were like, What? Tom and Katie just walked right up to the front, and we were like, Who the fuck are they? They’re not even in fashion! And then two days later Anna calls and says, “I’d like you to host.” And also, it is an honor to be asked by Anna with Marc to host the Met ball and being the first model and all that. I did say “What do you have to do?” and she said, “You have to stand in the receiving line for an hour and a half.” But everybody’s in the toilets at the Met smoking. The last time I went, Vanessa Redgrave—I love Vanessa Redgrave—had pockets in her dress with her fags in it.
Philip Green: Excuse me. I thought we had a conversation about you giving up one January.
Kate Moss: Silence!
Source: NY Mag
