SUPER ROLE MODEL

How Kate Moss has steered her daughter Lila into a unique place in the fashion world

It’s never easy to follow in a famous parent’s footsteps. When that famous parent is Kate Moss – supermodel, icon and one of Britain’s most powerful fashion players – the pressure to be successful must be immense.

Arguably the most well-known, well-loved British model of her generation, Kate has worked with every fashion great, including Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Tom Ford and Vivienne Westwood.

Last week, the supermodel celebrated her 52nd birthday. Still in demand, her longevity is as legendary as her unique, off-kilter beauty. All things considered, no one would have blamed her only daughter, Lila, for eschewing modelling entirely to become, say, an accountant. A less glamorous profession, yes – but at least one that wouldn’t invite comparison.

But if comparison is the thief of joy, it has stolen nothing from the accomplished Lila. Although it would be false to say that she hasn’t benefited from her parents’ impeccable contacts – her father is the publisher Jefferson Hack, owner of influential fashion and culture tomes Dazed (formerly Dazed and Confused) and AnOther Magazine – at 23, she has carved out her own unique niche in the fashion world, not as “Kate’s daughter” but as a successful young woman in her own right, with her own mind, her own modelling portfolio and her own business acumen.

“I wouldn’t underestimate Lila,” says the fashion consultant Mandi Lennard. “She is collaborative and laser-focused – not merely ’the model’, but a testament to Kate.”

Lila has inherited her mother’s drive as well as her beauty. Kate may have a reputation as a party girl, but when it comes to business, pleasure takes a back seat. You don’t build a net worth estimated at £55m, as Kate has done, by sleeping on the job.