Heidi Klum: Thanks to Diversity, I Can “Continue Working”
Heidi Klum (52) will receive a new award in Berlin on November 14. The German edition of “Glamour” Magazine will honor entrepreneur, host, and top model Klum at the “Women of the Year” Awards as a “Global Icon”. “She is a symbol of female empowerment and self-determination and remains one of the top supermodels even after 30 years”, the magazine explains on Instagram.
With her long career, self-confidence, and commitment to more diversity in the fashion industry, Heidi Klum has inspired women worldwide and set new standards, “Glamour” writes on its website. “I am incredibly excited! Especially because I know that I am now in a line with so many amazing women. It is a true compliment to be part of this – and it reminds me of how much one can achieve by simply continuing on”, says Klum.
Thanks to More Diversity, Still a Sought-After Model at 52
The drive for more diversity also continues to fuel Heidi Klum’s own modeling career, as she reveals in conversation with the magazine. “Thanks to the current diversity, I am allowed to continue working. When I turned 40, I was already being asked if I was going to hang up my job. About ten years ago, the industry looked completely different…”
She adds: “But now it’s changing more and more, and I even see mature models at some fashion shows. And apparently, at 52, I’m now part of those”, laughs Klum. “The Vivienne Westwood show, for example, was incredibly diverse overall: There’s incredible variance not just in age, but also in clothing sizes, height, there were men with receding hairlines, and so on…”
Heidi Klum: “We Definitely Need to Keep Fighting!”
On her own TV show “Germany’s next Topmodel”, Heidi Klum also advocates for more diverse people to have a chance at a modeling career. However, the work is far from done. “We definitely need to keep fighting! I have a very commercial show, and it’s important that I drive progress here. But: We’re not yet where we need to be.”
The model mom notes: “At our castings, I often see that certain types still fall through the cracks – not because they aren’t beautiful, but because they don’t fit the classic mold. While curvy models are now somewhat accepted, petite models, for example, still have an incredibly hard time.”
Heidi Klum had her breakthrough in 1998 with the legendary “Sports Illustrated” cover in the USA. She also struggled during her career with the fact that enough model diversity was not in demand. She recalls: “When I started, I was told a few times that I didn’t fit the currently desired ‘model image’.” However, she never let herself be discouraged.
Her daughter Leni Klum (21) is already a sought-after model. Son Henry (20) made his runway debut this year. The 52-year-old has no concerns about her two oldest children now embarking on the often harsh path in the fashion industry. “They grew up with my job and have known from a young age that it’s not all glamour. While other people only see the end product, they know how much work goes into it: the hours-long calls with my producer, memorizing texts, countless fittings… I believe they approach this very consciously. They know: Success doesn’t happen overnight.”
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