heidi klum

Heidi Klum, 26, is a star of the fashion world. Having made her breakthrough as the 1998 cover girl for the highly competitive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and calendar, and having established herself as a top model, Heidi's career is also taking new directions. She made her acting debut appearing as Michael J. Fox's love interest in the ABC hit sitcom "Spin City," and her film credits include "Blow Dry," "Ella Enchanted" and the upcoming cable movie "The Life & Death of Peter Sellers."

Heidi has also appeared in guest roles on "Sex and the City," "CSI: Miami," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "The Larry Sanders Show." She has hosted MTV's "Fashionably Loud Europe" (during which she sang live "Teenage Dirtbag" with band Wheatus) and "Model Mission" shows, as well as the Laureus World Sport Awards; she has been profiled and done correspondent work for "Access Hollywood" and "E!," and has charmed talk show hosts from David Letterman and Jay Leno to Conan O'Brien and Regis. She has hosted TNT's "Sports Illustrated" television special, VH-1, MTV and Discovery specials and a one-hour Victoria's Secret program for E! Entertainment.

One project that Heidi produced herself was a best-selling swimsuit calendar. Shot in St. Bart's, Heidi retained full creative control, selecting everything from the suits to the photographers and locations. Heidi is also in the midst of co-writing a book of fun tips and practical anecdotes about dealing with a busy modern life, and she is in the planning stages of creating her own website so that her many fans can keep up with her appearances and upcoming projects.

Heidi's modeling career began in her hometown of Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, when she and a friend cut a modeling contest coupon out of Petra magazine and mailed in a vacation snapshot of Heidi. She had no idea how far it would go, but Heidi eventually won the contest. From this win, Heidi was signed with an agency and her modeling career officially began. Heidi has since worked with such top photographers as Sante D'Orazio, Patrick Demarchelier, Gilles Bensimmon, Matthew Ralston, Arthur Elgort, Walter Chin, Robert Erdmann, Marco Glaviano, Michael Thompson, Raymond Meier, Richard Burbridge, Wayne Mazur, Peter Lindbergh and Steven Meisel.

Besides the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, she has been featured on the covers and spreads of every top fashion magazine, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, ID, W, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Allure, Esquire, GQ, French & British & German Vogue, German Elle, George, Self, Fitness, Dutch, New Woman and Grazia magazines. In addition, Heidi has appeared in campaigns for Nike, American Express, Givenchy, Finesse, Caress, Lancaster, INC, Nine West and I-Blues, among others.

Heidi 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-watched runway show; since then, she has completed many campaigns for Victoria's Secret, and is featured prominently in the company's world-famous catalogs and fashion shows. Heidi was chosen to wear the $10 million jeweled Millennium Bra, covered with 2000 exquisite diamonds and sapphires, and she was featured on the cover of the fifth annual Victoria's Secret Swim Book. She has also been chosen to wear the Victoria's Secret holiday jeweled "Fantasy Bra" for a record three times.

On downtimes at shoots, Heidi is also cultivating an interest in craft-making: producing jewelry, unique home products and embroidered clothing and accessories. Heidi's own undeniable beauty, exuberance and natural charm are signals that her phenomenal success so far is only the beginning.