Odds are; when you think about Kate Moss, you also think about Naomi Campbell; they're like sisters.
But being sisters can sometimes come with a certain amount of rivalry, especially when both are a part of one of the most competitive industries in the world. Were Moss and Campbell ever competitive? The media certainly portrayed that they did, constantly comparing them.
They have a lot in common, though. They both started modeling in their early teens. They've both had extremely high-profile relationships, and they each have really impressive net worths (Campbell is worth $80 million while Moss is worth $70 million). And now they have one more thing in common because Campbell is a new mother.
But while they've seemed to be great friends for decades now, is there any real rivalry between them?
They Met Decades Ago
Before the Hadids or any of the other huge models popular today, Campbell and Moss were a part of the first group of women ever to be labeled "supermodels," being a part of the "Big Six."
They met on a shoot in Los Angeles in 1992.
"She was 15, I was 18," Campbell wrote in the Evening Standard for Moss's 40th birthday. "It was a brief meeting, but I remember her being strikingly quiet; she hardly spoke. She can be very shy at times — if she doesn’t know you, she doesn’t speak. The other striking thing, obviously, was her beautiful face. I knew she was special from that first minute I saw her."
Months later, they met again in Madrid, and Campbell "kidnapped her." Campbell said, "You can’t be here on your own! You’re coming with me." That marked the start of a long friendship. Through their vigorous schedules, they protected each other because they came from the same place and lived together wherever they went. They even cooked up a mean Sunday Roast together when they were homesick.
Moss was a little younger than the rest of the "Big Six," but Campbell and the rest showed her the ropes.
"We’d share everything. We worked so hard in those days, and then in the evening, we would go out, for dinner, to concerts." They once broke in to see Nirvana.
Campbell describes Moss as a "straightforward" person who doesn't take any "bullsh*t" or tried to be someone she wasn't, similarly to Campbell herself. "We know our roots. Kate and I were a backbone of support for each other.
One of the most important things in their friendship was that they always made time for each other. "We’d meet after work for dinner; we’d go out... If her birthday was in LA, I’d go there. If mine was in New York, she’d come from wherever she was. We’d make an effort to be around for Christmas, birthdays, summer holidays. If I was doing a fashion show and she wasn’t in it, she’d still come and watch. We were like sisters."
Ignoring the press was also important, especially when papers talked about their friendship. "There was never any jealousy between us. We were always supportive of each other and happy for one another."
They've also seen each other through the good and the bad. "Kate has stood by me through it all. You can count on your hands the friends who’ll be there for you in the tough times, and she’s one of them. We can sit down and laugh about things, but she’s also respectful and mature. I’ve grown up with her."
When they do have issues with each other, they deal with it one-on-one. "We don’t let anyone else get involved. We don’t have to speak every day, but we have a connection. Sometimes she’ll know something is up; she’ll call and say, 'Are you okay?' She’s very intuitive, very instinctive. She might not tell you she’s noticed something straight away, but she doesn’t miss a beat."
One of the things that Campbell loves best about Moss is that she keeps the child within her and makes her laugh a lot.
"We always laugh together, always. I feel completely comfortable with her; I can really let go, let my hair down and have a real laugh. When we’re together, people always say, 'Oh my God, you two are such entertainment. You’re so funny.'"
Campbell said Moss is like her little sister, "We even have nicknames for each other — but I don’t think she’d want me to tell you!"
They Don't Read Headlines, But That Hasn't Stopped The Tabloids From Harshly Comparing Them
Campbell said it herself, they were never any competition between them or any jealousy, but that hasn't stopped the tabloids from harshly comparing them.
The Daily Mail wrote in 2016, "Their careers have had eerie parallels and a touch of 'anything she can do, I can do better,'" and proceeded to compare everything from money to men to looks between them.
"Their friendship has had its ups and downs, but which supermodel has come out on top — and weathered the test of time better?" they wrote.
According to them, Campbell won in looks as she continues to look youthful while Moss's beauty has diminished because she smokes. Moss came out on top in the "who's had more lovers" category. As you can tell, this was the type of story both women wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole.
Other publications like Vogue have been nicer comparing the two. "Each woman has her own individual approach—Moss embodies a kind effortless rocker chic while Campbell is fashion’s ultimate glamour girl—but they’ve nevertheless managed to complement each other for nearly three decades," they wrote.
No matter which event they attend together, "Moss and Campbell frequently mirrored looks while maintaining their individuality." So the messy truth about their decades-long friendship is: the media likes to sell that they're competitive, but they're not. They're beautiful in their own right and have a strong steel bond. We'll certainly never tire of seeing them together from on the runway to the kitchen where they make the best Yorkshire puddings.
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