Heidi Klum

Top fashion model Heidi Klum was born in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, on June 1, 1973. During the winter of 1991, while in her late teens, a friend persuaded her to enter a national contest – “Model 92.” Over 25,000 girls had entered the contest, and over a series of shows on German television Heidi kept winning the weekly and monthly stages of the competition. In the end she won the contest overall and was given her first modeling job, which she turned down in favor of finishing school.

With a strong background in art, Heidi began studying to be a fashion designer but during her studies decided she wanted to pursue modeling as a career. In 1993, after learning the basics throughout Europe, she moved to Miami and then to New York, where she currently resides. Small jobs and constant modeling shoots kept her busy, but her big break wouldn’t come until 1998.

In 1997, she became affiliated with Victoria’s Secret as a runway model in one of the intimate apparel company’s fashion shows. She gained all sorts of recognition, most notably from Sports Illustrated magazine. And in February 1998 Heidi graced the cover of the magazine’s famous “Swimsuit Issue,” and there was no turning back. She was now the most coveted supermodel in the world.

Her modeling career led her to television, where she made her acting debut as Michael J. Fox’s love interest on Spin City. She played herself. The following year her first calendar was printed, which has now become an annual standard. In 2004, she became the host of the Bravo TV series “Project Runway,” a reality show in which contestants compete to win a chance to design clothes for Banana Republic.

Heidi also made a return to her roots in fashion design and now designs her own line of swimwear which has been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, as well as a signature shoe for Birkenstock. She also designs jewelry and is an accomplished painter.

On the romantic front, Heidi married hairdresser Ric Pipino in 1997 and would be divorced in less than five years. She later became linked to Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis and then to Flavio Briatore, owner of a Formula-1 racing team. She has a daughter with Briatore. Recently, she married British singer Seal, and the couple had their first child in 2005. Heidi’s measurements are 35-24-34.

A supermodel with the savvy to create her own empire, Heidi Klum hit gold with a perfect amalgam of high fashion and reality TV. Born in Germany, Klum began modeling when she was just a teenager, after submitting photos to a German modeling agency on a whim. She toured Europe as a model, eventually coming to the United States, where she found even greater success — cemented by her posing for the coveted cover of Sports Illustrated in 1998. Klum became a spokes model for Victoria’s Secret, and also began taking some small roles in films, like 2000’s Blow Dry. In 2004, she became the executive producer and host of a show on Bravo called Project Runway, in which fashion design hopefuls were presented with a variety of challenges and judged on their talent and ability, facing elimination in every episode until a winner was crowned. The show was a huge hit, and Klum became even more of brand in and of herself. Klum was married to celebrity hairstylist Ric Pipino in 1997, though the couple divorced in 2002. She also had a relationship with Formula One manager Flavio Briatore, and though it did not last, the couple had a daughter together, Helene (aka “Leni”). In 2005, Klum married singer and musician Seal, who raised Helene as his own along with the couple’s other children.