But on June 6, 2005, at the New York Public Library, Kate Moss will enter the annals of fashion history as the 2005 CFDA Honoree for the ‘Fashion Influence’ Award, given to individuals whose signature style has had a profound influence on fashion.

Born in Croydon, Surrey, England, on January 16, 1974, she was discovered when she was only 14 years old.

Starting her career in the mid 1980s all the way up to today, Kate Moss is one of the most recognizable model having graced the covers of Allure and Harper's Bazaar in the U.S.; Arena, Elle and The Face in the UK; as well as the American, British, Australian, Italian, and Brazilian editions of Vogue, and that’s just to name a few of them.

Add to that the marketing campaigns for Chanel, Narciso Rodriguez, Sephora.com, Cerruti 1881, Banana Republic, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry in addition to the Calvin Klein ads, that she headlined, it would really be hard to miss her.

Maybe, that’s the reason why she is part of the “tabloid royalty” as the British press calls those who are paparazzi favorites. Because, although she seldom graces the catwalk nowadays, she is still a media darling.

Of course, she might be semi-retired when it comes on strutting clothes on the runway, but she is still one of the most bankable faces today in the modeling industry.

How bankable could it be? Her “Naked Portrait 2002” done by artist Lucian Freud fetched £3.9 million or approximately US$7.3 million during an auction at Christie’s.

Painted when she was pregnant with her daughter Lila Grace, the near life-size full length portrait showed Kate Moss reclining on a bed nude. An anonymous bidder bought the portrait after a brisk bidding.