Of course, Moss, Evangelista and other supermodels are

celebrities in their own right -- a fact not lost on Nikon Corp., which chose Moss for its digital-camera ads precisely because of "all the buzz that comes along with being Kate," according to Danielle Korn, an executive vice president at Interpublic Group's McCann Erickson in New York, which produced the ads. Tabloid newspapers chronicled Moss's recent drug problems, which led to the cancellation of the 32-year-old model's contracts with Hennes & Mauritz AB's H&M stores and Chanel SA. (Burberry PLC canceled its fall 2005 campaign with Moss by mutual agreement. But it is using her again for fall 2006.)

Still, style experts say that models may convey more fashion gravitas and sophistication than screen actresses.