Model Kate Moss makes big comeback with new ad campaigns

The September 2006 cover of British Vogue.

MADRID - A year is a long time in fashion.

Last September, Kate Moss was persona non grata after a British newspaper printed pictures of her apparently snorting large amounts of cocaine.

High street fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz temporarily pulled an advertising campaign featuring the British supermodel, Parisian fashion house Chanel said they would not renew her contract and she was notable for her absence from Burberry ads.

Fast forward almost a year and Moss is not only back, she dominates the fashion world once again.

Pick up the hefty new issue of British Vogue and a glowing Moss graces the cover. Flick through the ads for the new autumn collections and the cheekbones that made her millions appear for eight different labels - a huge number for one magazine.

From a sleek Louis Vuitton ad to a supermodel-inspired photo for Versace to a languid nude shot for Longchamp and a return to the British house of Burberry, the 32-year-old is ubiquitous.

Moss also appears on the cover of the September style issue of US magazine Vanity Fair. Moss is featured in the magazine's international best-dressed list for 2006.

"Her fall was significant and it is interesting to see her rehabilitation," said Jay Fishman, managing director of Financial Research Associates, adviser to celebrity businesses.

"In some ways it shows us how tolerant people can be of celebrities' foibles if they do what they are supposed to do to get out of it. A lot of people buy into the story of 'I've overcome my demons and I'm back'," he added.

After the photographs were printed, Moss went to a US drug rehabilitation clinic and issued an official apology for her behaviour, although she made no direct reference to the Daily Mirror allegations she took illegal drugs. The Crown Prosecution Service said she would face no charges over the allegations.

Fame may be lucrative but a pedestal can be a dangerous place to stand as celebrities' words and actions are scrutinised by the public and the media.

Recently it has been actor and director Mel Gibson's turn to hit the spotlight with anti-Semitic comments he made after being caught speeding under the influence of alcohol. Gibson, who has admitted drink problems, said he had started a recovery programme.

Gibson's friends say this is a blip in his career and his talent will bring him back into the fold, as it has with Moss.

Virgin Mobile, which used Moss in a television advert just months after the drug allegations, summed up the star quality that outlives a wave of bad press.

"Kate Moss is an icon," its brand director said.

- REUTERS