Philippine STAR Exclusive: Karolina Kurkova, the supermodel who started with bangs
October 3, 2002 | 12:00am
Madrid, Spain – Meet Karolina Kurkova, 18-year-old Slavic model who’s the heir apparent to Gisele Bundchen. She was born on Feb. 28, 1984 in Pardubice, Czech Republic, north of Prague, near the German border. Having spent only two years in the fashion world, what explains her meteoric rise to the top? There’s something about her. It could be those luscious lips, mysterious big green eyes, prominent cheekbones and voluptuous body that gives her an air of sensuality coupled with innocence and backed by her vibrant and captivating personality that has caught the discerning eye of top international designers. Luckily, being a "baby" supermodel hasn´t gotten to her head. She’s very down-to-earth, genuinely friendly and accommodating to everyone. I could ask her directly for an interview without getting her agent’s permission. She didn’t mind being interviewed while being made up. She talked to me for as long as I had questions to ask her. Other models asked me to go back to the backstage later because they didn´t want to be interviewed while being made up. These are qualities have endeared her to people from both the fashion and media world. She absolutely has no airs. In fact, she was the nicest supermodel that I got to interview during the Madrid Fashion Week. Discovered by talent scout Alessandro Bazzoni, who is also her boyfriend, in a modelling agency in Czech Republic, Karolina started out working for Gianfranco Ferré. This led to working for Christian Dior, Gucci, Versace and Valentino as well as countless Italian magazine covers. At 16, she landed on the cover of Vogue USA in its February, 2001 issue, the youngest ever to be featured. Vogue USA chose Karolina for its cover girl because they were convinced she would be the next most important star in the fashion world. True enough, this cover, where Karolina sported her famous trademark bangs, opened doors for her in the international modeling scene. Apparently, the Latina look with topmodels like Gisele Bundchen and Fernanda Tavares has made way for the Eastern European Slavic air with Karolina’s big eyes and full lips.
Today, Karolina is the newest image model of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. She was the September cover of French Vogue. She is a "must have" on the international runway. In the recently concluded Pasarela Cibeles, Madrid Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2003, Karolina was selected as the supermodel to give international prestige to Spanish fashion in Spain’s effort to project Madrid as one of the most important fashion capitals in line with the government’s Global Fashion Plan. For this, she was reportedly paid 240,000 euros (over US$264,000) for only two whole days’ work consisting of six fashion shows per day. She opened Madrid’s Fashion Week along with Spain´s top model Madeleine Hjört in outfits featuring the World Trade Center’s towers in homage to September 11.
Karolina started her career at the top. She worked for top international designers Louis Vuitton, Helmut Lang, Celine, Versace Jeans Couture, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino, La Perla, Furla, Plein Sud, J. Mendel Legend. She was the face of the Vogue Fashion Awards 2002 campaign. She was the youngest model in Victoria’s Secret 2000 show held during the Cannes Film Festival. In the beginning of her career, she did campaigns for Banana Republic, Outrage, H&M.
On top of her hectic schedule, the New York-based Karolina still finds time to jog in Central Park, play basketball or hockey, go swimming or ice skating, or go shopping in Madison Avenue. Sometimes, she’d rather just curl up at home with Czech writer Kafka’s work. In an exclusive interview with Philippine STAR, Karolina unravels the secrets of her success and talks about her future plans. Excerpts:
Philippine STAR: How were you discovered?
Karolina Kurkova: I have a relative who is a model. She told me, "Oh, you are so tall and skinny! You should go to Prague and come to my agency, what do you think?" So, OK, I just went there. I went to the agency but I didn’t really work at it. I was still in school and I wasn’t living in Prague. It was hard for me to go up and down. The market in Czech Republic is very difficult. If you want modelling work, it is not really the place to be. There’s not so much fashion – not so many magazines. There is not much to do.
What was your first big break?
I started to be a real model when I was 16 in year 2000. My first big break was when I did the American Vogue cover. I was basically the youngest model ever to be in an American Vogue cover. It was a big break in America and everywhere.
How did you get to be on the cover of American Vogue?
I had an agency that represented me in New York. They saw my card and they wanted to see me so I came and did a fashion shoot for American Vogue. That was when the Vogue editor decided to put me on the cover. I was based in Czech Republic then and when I started to get busy, I couldn’t go up and down from Czech to New York so I now I live in New York.
So that jumpstarted your international modeling career.
That opened doors to everything. It just all went toot, toot, toot ... Everything happened so fast.
The year 2001 was actually when you started making it big.
Yes, it was 2001 which was like my big break year.
What kind of look did you have at the time?
During that time, the look that everybody was copying was the bangs. That was the new look/trend that I started. My hair was a little bit blonder then.
How were you marketed?
I was marketed as a fresh, tall, sexy, positive-smiley girl.
What do you think was the factor that made you so in demand?
It is actually hard to ask me that question. You should ask the people around me. I think that there are so many models with an attitude: They are not nice to people and to clients. And I was just really somebody nice. I was happy with what I did. When I work, I give everything I have: I give my hard work for the pictures. So even if we are done and they would like to have one more round, I am very famous for the fact that I don’t want to stop. I want to do my best – even if it’s the smallest or biggest magazine, I always want to do my best. I want that the people are happy. I am a positive person – I am always happy and people like that. They want to have somebody near who is happy and positive.
Do you think that Asian women also have a chance to be a supermodel just like you?
I definitely think so. Why not? When the right time comes, I’m sure. Just give it some time.
Any advice for aspiring Asian models?
Just be themselves, not pretend to be someone else and just have fun. Be really nice, simple and be a hard worker. Be confident about the way you are.
Do you always have to reinvent yourself to stay competitive in this business?
I don’t really change my look every year. When I started, I looked different – I had bangs and straight hair but now, I am growing my hair. If for two years you have the same look, you should change the color or cut your hair. Either you color or you cut your hair. Change your look so you look different. Asians have their beautiful dark and healthy hair, I wouldn’t change what Mother Nature gave me.
What are your beauty secrets?
For my hair, I mix one egg with mashed avocado then one spoon of olive oil on my hands and spread it in my hair. For my face, I splash cold water and put tea bags on my eyes. I don’t really have beauty secrets. I am just lucky my skin is very good. I don’t have to worry that much.
How do you maintain your figure?
I eat a lot! That’s the secret. I don’t avoid anything. I am not the only one – all the girls. We all love to eat! If we see food, we will be the first one to be there. It will always be the girls eating.
That means you exercise a lot to burn the calories.
I do a lot of yoga. Yeah, I like to dance – I love to dance with the music. I used to do gymnastics and ballet for eight years. So I have that feeling for dancing: I love to move my body, but I don’t really go every day for five hours exercising every muscle. No, I’m not like that. I am not that kind of freak.
What should be the basics in every girl’s wardrobe?
She should definitely have Manolo Blahnik high-heeled shoes. She should have jeans that fit her great. I usually mix a lot of designers. Definitely, I am an antique jewelry freak: antique earrings, like diamonds or just plain antique jewelry.
Tell us about Prague.
Prague is really a beautiful place. It is actually one of my favorite towns. It is really magical : like a princess´city. I am not from Prague actually, I come from a small town north of the country near Germany.
Since you travel a lot, what are your favorite destinations besides Prague?
Maldives, Bora-Bora and Thailand.
How long do you think will you be modeling?
It depends – right now, I am just concentrating on what I do and do more things. Then we’ll see how it’s gonna go but then I also have to think about the future: when I’ll get tired with what I do.
What are your plans for the future?
Actually, it’s kind of a secret – I don’t want to talk about it yet. It’s a special program I am doing.
You mean for charity?
Yes, it’s going to be for charity exactly, but it’s a charity for a special program for something.
Did the President of Czech Republic ever ask you to be your country’s spokesperson for tourism?
Should I say it? (consulting her agent) Actually... yeah. (hesitating). I have been asked. They wanted me to be the ambassador who will help me in the future for the charity program I am planning to do, but we’ll see how it’s gonna go.
Birthday: February 28, 1984
Birthplace: Pardubice, Czech Republic
Height: 5’11"
Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Anne Klein, Calvin Klein, Bill Blass, Narciso Rodriguez, Vera Wang, Anna Sui, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Prada
Runway Shows:
Christian Dior, Versace, Dolce&Gabana, Jean Paul Gautier, Dianne Von Furstenberg, Helmut Lang,Donna Karan, Alessandro Dell Acqua , Max Mara, Versus, Jil Sander, Marni, Roberto Cavalli, Moschino, Alberta Ferreti, Missoni, Miu Miu, Celine, Emmanuel Ungaro, Givenchy, Balmain, Féraud, Victor & Rolf, Alexander Mc Queen, John Galliano, YSL Rive Gauche, Chanel, Sonia Rykiel, Ralph Kauren, Karl Lagerfield
Campaigns:
Chanel 2002
YSL Rive Gauche 2002
Louis Vuitton 2001-2002
Valentino Autumn 2001-2002
Victoria Secret Autumn 2001-2002
J. Mendel Legend 2001-2002
Xpress Jeans 2001-2002
Celine 2001
Salvatore Ferragamo Spring 2001
Versace Jeans Couture Spring 2001
La Perla 2001
Plein Sud 2001
H&M 2001
Outrage Autumn 2000
Banana Republic Spring 2000
Covers:
Vogue France – September 2002, August 2001, March 2001
Vogue USA – February 2001
Vogue Russia – February 2002, December 2001
Vogue UK – May 2001
Vogue Germany – April 2001
Vogue Australia – July 2001, March 2001
Vogue Spain – August 2001
Vogue Greece – February 2001
Marie Claire Germany – June 2001
Elle France – September 2000
Photo USA – November-December 2001
Rebel Nº3 – Spring 2002
Numero Nº24 France – June 2001
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