Michel Haddi on photographing Kate Moss and the power of celebrity

French photographer Michel Haddi (b. 1965) began his career as a night porter and waiter at the Maria, a gay restaurant in Paris frequented by stars. He later shot for GQ and Vogue, working with creative director John Hind at British Vogue and Franca Sozzani at Vogue Italia. His limited-edition book "The Legend" features Polaroids of Kate Moss taken in 1991, lost for 25 years and rediscovered in boxes in his Los Angeles storage. The book was presented with a signing at the 29 Arts In Progress gallery booth during Photo London 2023. In an interview with Artribune, Haddi described his approach as "realistic yet limitless," aiming for photos that are "delicate like a splendid poisonous flower." He first met Moss in Los Angeles while working with Lolita Davidovich for Interview Magazine, later casting her for a Bloomingdale's campaign and film. He compares her to Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, and Veruschka, calling her unique. Haddi also photographed Liza Minnelli, Uma Thurman, and Linda Evangelista, emphasizing that celebrities today have more power than brands. He expressed interest in working with the Hadid sisters on a project tentatively titled "The Hadid sisters by Haddi."