Heidi Klum

“Project Runway” host and executive producer Heidi Klum is a major star in the fashion and entertainment world — establishing herself as a top model, launching her own collections and more.

Heidi Klum, 36, is a major star in the fashion and entertainment world. Having established herself as a top model, making great impact for such clients as Victoria’s Secret and appearing on the covers of such pop-culture mainstays as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Klum’s career has taken many new directions. Klum’s numerous other ventures include self-designed collections for such prestigious companies as the fine jeweler Mouawad (the Heidi Klum Collection, sold in boutiques and on QVC, Stardoll.com and heidiklum.com), popular shoe line Birkenstock and a capsule collection for Jordache, for which she is also the campaign model.

She is the host and executive producer of the four-time Emmy-nominated series “Project Runway.” After finishing its fifth season, “Project Runway” was the highest-rated program on cable. Klum also hosts “Germany’s Next Top Model,” which is a runaway hit in that country. She has written a lifestyle book, “Body of Knowledge: 8 Rules of Model Behavior.” Additional ventures include developing best-selling European clothing, accessory, fragrance and beauty lines. Her latest beauty endeavor in the United States is an age-preventive line of creams and serums called In An Instant, which is sold in partnership with Guthy-Renker.

Klum’s modeling career began in her hometown of Bergisch Gladbach, when she won a national model search. After this win, Klum signed with an agency, and her modeling career officially took off. She has since worked with many of the world’s top fashion photographers, including Sante D’Orazio, Patrick Demarchelier, Gilles Bensimon, Rankin, Matthew Ralston, Arthur Elgort, Walter Chin, Robert Erdmann, Marco Glaviano, Michael Thompson, Raymond Meier, Richard Burbridge, Mark Seliger, Wayne Mazur, Peter Lindbergh and Steven Meisel.

She has been featured in all the top fashion/beauty and lifestyle magazines, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Jane, ID, W, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Allure, Lucky, Self, Town & Country, Esquire, Forbes, Arena, GQ, British GQ (for which she was named “Woman of the Year” twice in a row, normally reserved for men), French, British and German Vogue, German Elle, Self, Fitness, Dutch, New Woman and Grazia magazines. Klum has shot campaigns for clients including McDonalds, Diet Coke (for which she was the spokeswoman for the Red Dress/Heart Health initiative for two years), Volkswagen, H&M, Nike, American Express, Target, Express, Liz Claiborne, Lenscrafters, Siemens, Givenchy, Nine West, INC, Finesse, Braun (for which her legs were insured for over $2 million!) and the prestigious Pirelli calendar.

Klum is also well known for her work with Victoria’s Secret. One of her first big breaks as a model was to walk in Victoria’s Secret widely viewed runway show. Since then, she has completed many campaigns for Victoria’s Secret, being featured prominently in the company’s world-famous catalogs, swim books and fashion shows, and has even worn the multi-million-dollar jeweled holiday bras. She has served as host of the CBS broadcast special of the annual fashion show.

Klum’s acting appearances include Miramax films “Blow Dry” and “Ella Enchanted,” ABC’s “Spin City,” and guest roles on HBO’s “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers” as Ursula Andress, “How I Met Your Mother” and “Sex and the City,” among others. She hosted the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, has hosted various specials for MTV, TNT and CBS, and swam with sharks for an episode for Discovery Channel’s popular “Shark Week.” In addition, she appeared as villainess scientist Katya Nadanova in the best-selling James Bond 007 videogame, “Everything or Nothing.”

Her charity involvements include work on behalf of such organizations as the American Red Cross (as part of its Celebrity Cabinet) and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

On downtimes at shoots, Klum also cultivates her creative talents — sketching ideas for her jewelry, clothing and shoe lines, as well as crafting new ideas for her ever-developing businesses and interests.