Britain: The fashion chain H&M announced yesterday it was dropping model Kate Moss from its forthcoming advertising campaign, after the publication of photographs last week which apparently showed her taking cocaine.
Despite having issued a statement last week pledging its support of the model, H&M has made a surprising U-turn, releasing a strongly worded statement yesterday afternoon: "H&M will cancel the planned advertising campaign with model Kate Moss. H&M is strongly against drug abuse and for many years has actively supported the drug preventing organisation Mentor Foundation. After having evaluated the situation, H&M has decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is inconsistent with H&M's clear dissociation of drugs."
This follows further revelations at the weekend in the tabloids regarding Ms Moss's alleged drug use and her private life. Moss, who is arguably the most famous model in the world, will not be lacking work. She is still appearing in campaigns for Chanel, Christian Dior, Burberry, Roberto Cavalli and H Stern. But these are all expensive labels, whereas H&M has a much younger customer base. H&M was initially criticised for retaining Ms Moss's services as she is a role model for youth.
She is also the face of the lower-priced cosmetics brand Rimmel, which is also marketed to teenagers. A spokeswoman for the company said yesterday she would remain in its campaigns.
Chanel, Cavalli, Burberry and Dior all declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for New York-based jeweller H Stern said: "So far there have been no changes, although things may alter in the future."
Ms Moss (31) has been modelling for more than half her life after being spotted when she was 14. Her image hinged on scandal from the beginning, when her skinny limbs and panda eyes kickstarted the trend for what newspapers dubbed "heroin chic", a look some designers exploited and fetishised in their advertising campaigns at the time.
Ever since, much of Ms Moss's appeal has relied on her lifestyle and unconventional behaviour: she is rarely photographed without a cigarette and she poledanced her way through a music video for the White Stripes in a bikini, all of which added to her glamorous image in the eyes of the fashion world. She has admitted taking drugs in the past, but had insisted that was no longer the case.
But it has only been since the start of her relationship with rock star and self-proclaimed drug addict Pete Doherty that details of her previously closely guarded personal life began to surface. The photos of Ms Moss apparently taking cocaine are assumed to have been taken by a member of his band, Babyshambles. - (Guardian service)