Kate Moss criticized

Supermodel Kate Moss, has been named Model of the Year by the elite British Fashion Awards.

The win at British fashion's answer to the Oscars late on Thursday sealed Moss's recovery from a cocain newspaper story that briefly threatened her career reports Reuters.

"Kate Moss is a fashion icon and, without doubt, one of the most prolific models in the industry," the British Fashion Council said, in bestowing the prize. "She has now been modeling for over 15 years and remains at the top of her game."

In September, 2005, photographs of the 32-year-old model apparently snorting cocaine appeared on the front page of The Daily Mirror. Since then, "cocaine Kate" as she was dubbed has returned to the pinnacle of her profession and she was not charged over the allegations.

Some commentators and drug charities are concerned over what the award says about fashion and what signals it sends to young people tempted to use drugs.

But fellow models and celebrities have defended Moss, pointing to her commercial success and her willingness to apologize for her behavior.

"I think it's a bad reflection on the world of fashion," said Jane Ennis, editor of celebrity magazine Now.

"The fact that she has become an even bigger icon since getting into all this trouble is fantastically decadent. Sometimes commercial interests should be set aside to look at the wider picture."

George Ruston, director of Hope UK, a drug education charity, called the award "unhelpful" and said advertisers were as much to blame as Moss.

In other news, British beauty Kate Moss has been criticized by the Columbian Vice President over her previous cocaine use.
According to The Sun, Francisco Santos said that it was "baffling" that Moss had won so many new contracts after having been accused of using cocaine.

He reportedly told the Associated Press that her success was symptomatic of the European attitude towards drugs.