First Fashion Photographs Of Kate Moss, Aged 14, To Be Sold At Auction

Kate Moss's First Ever Fashion Shoot To Be Sold At Auction
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In fashion photography folklore, there are few more famous moments.

In 1988, on her way back from a holiday in the Bahamas, a 14-year-old called Kate Moss was waiting in line at JFK airport for a flight home to London.

A few spaces behind her stood Sarah Doukas, a woman who had recently founded a model agency called Storm from her bedroom.

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Kate Moss, aged 14, in her first ever fashion shoot

Once on the plane, Doukas sent her brother and business partner Simon Chambers to approach the beautiful girl and ask if she'd ever considered a career in modeling.

Her answer was the first step on a long road to becoming one of the most famous and photographed women in the world.

The second step was for Moss to join Doukas for a test shoot with photographer David Ross, the results of which are now to be sold for the first time at Bloomsbury Auctions on 23 November.

"The first time I met Kate Moss was on 25th October 1988," remembers Ross.

"She was a cool character (in the real sense of the word), she seemed like a tough or resilient typical teenager, comfortably fronting me up, perhaps covering up her nerves...

"I suppose what was refreshing was that she was honest. She wasn't trying to prove anything or act above her station. She didn't try to adopt a model attitude of self absorption and superiority, which at the time was becoming public via media sensation. She was untarnished. A blank canvas, as other writers have put it."

The photographs are expected to sell for between £800 and £1200 each - but you can see them for free below.

Kate Moss Pics Go Under The Hammer
(01 of03)
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Kate Moss, First Sitting – First Roll 26th October 1988, 1/25. ¾ view in Black Shirt - Framed in 24”x20” Black Frame. Signed on the front in black ink behind the mount. Estimate: £800 - 1200."This picture is special, rare and unique because, miraculously it was from the very first roll of film I loaded into my Nikon. Yet it resembles the ‘model’ like image we know of Kate today. This is remarkable as it was totally unplanned and it was my test roll to see how she reacted naturally to having a camera pointed at her for the first time with a professional purpose." - David Ross. (Credit: David Ross/Bloomsbury Auctions)
(02 of03)
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Kate Moss, First Sitting, 26th October 1988. Edition - 1/5. The head dipped and smiling B&W - Framed in 24”x20” Black FrameSigned on the front in black ink behind the mount. Estimate: £800 - 1200. "This picture of Kate is special because it is completely unaffected. Got her to let go and have a laugh. It’s not posed it is candid in the moment. Very rare." - David Ross. (Credit: David Ross/Bloomsbury Auctions)
(03 of03)
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Kate Moss, First Sitting, 26th October 1988. Edition - 1/5. Straight on shot with Film Sprockets - Framed in 28”x24” Black FrameSigned on the front in black ink behind the mount. Estimate: £800 - 1200. "This picture is rare as is presents a sense of power and confidence in Kate despite being so young. Neither she nor I had any idea what was in store for her." - David Ross. (Credit: David Ross/Bloomsbury Auctions)