Discovered at the age of 14 in a Tallinn supermarket, Carmen Kass has since worked with many luxury brands, including Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Valentino. Now the face of our Spring/Summer 2024 campaign, we caught up with her to find out more about her supermodel career, style inspiration and living in the moment.
How do you bring your own style and taste to your look?
I pick my own style based on staying true to myself – this means remaining simple, subdued and comfortable. Even if it’s an outfit for the red carpet, I still put comfort first, followed by the beauty and all the craziness. Also, because I’ve been a model most of my life, I’ve worn every possible clothing and creation that there is, so in my private life I want something more subtle and quiet.
What has a piece got to do to earn a place in your wardrobe?
As an impulse buyer, I don’t always make the right choice, but things that stay in my wardrobe are most of all, comfortable and, second of all, high in quality – in terms of fabric and the touch on your skin. Durability is also important, as there are so many clothes out there that fall apart after only one or two wears.
Do you have any pieces that you’d like to keep in an archive, and not necessarily clothes?
Someone gifted me an Estonian grand piano, which is something I’d like to keep for as long as I live but, in general, being too stuck on things is not exactly my way of being. I try to live in the moment and if the moment comes without something that I once liked, then it’s a new moment.
For example, it’s super cold in Estonia, so I recently bought an Off-White puffer jacket, which is light, soft, super warm and ideal for -15°C to -30°C. I wore it one winter and absolutely fell in love with it, so I wanted to buy another one in case it breaks or I wear it out. But the brand changed the design, so I’ve got to keep this one for as long as I can and love it for what it is. When that time is over, I’ll find something else.
How restrained are you when it comes to shopping?
When I’m on set, I often think, “Oh, I would love that” or “I should get it?”, but I always take a moment to reflect and question if I really need it. I also don’t plan – I buy out of emotion or when the right piece comes my way.
Do you follow trends?
Trends have not really been a thing for me. When you look at my 30 years in fashion – or across the whole history of fashion – trends always come and go and they cycle back at certain points, so if you have a truly great piece, it’s always on trend. It’s about having the ability to take a piece that was trendy five years ago and wear it today.
What does the word curator mean to you?
That’s a very complex question in a way, because I think we are all curators of our own life. From the moment we wake up and think about tomorrow or the next 10 years, in some way we are always creating our life. I don’t think it’s necessarily something we are knowledgeable about, often we do it by just being. For me, curation is something natural, something that is part of life, something part of all of us.
What are you influenced by?
Everything influences us. But I also think, in a way, it is my past, so it comes naturally to me. The path that life has given me, in this case, fashion and styling – I don’t really think about it, it’s just there.