Karlie Kloss

Karlie Elizabeth Kloss (born August 3, 1992) is an American fashion model.

Kloss was born on August 3, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois, to Tracy, a freelance director, and Kurt Kloss, an emergency physician.

Her family has German, Danish, and Polish ancestry.

She has three sisters; two younger sisters Kimberly and Kariann (twins), and one older sister Kristine.

She moved to St. Louis with her family in 1994.

Vogue Paris declared her one of the "top 30 models of the 2000s" when she was 17.

In 2006, at the age of 14, Kloss posed for a cover and editorial shoot for the June issue of Scene Magazine in Chicago with photographer David Leslie Anthony, in an editorial spread titled "Almost Famous".

Elite Model Management Chicago then forwarded these tear sheets to Elite Model Management's New York office, who signed her.

Her first credited modeling shoot was photographed by Arthur Elgort for Teen Vogue.

One of her first modeling stints was for Abercrombie Kids when she posed for the brand's photography shot by Bruce Weber.

In January 2008, she left Elite Model Management and signed with Next Management.

She walked 31 runways in New York Fashion Week, notably walking as an exclusive for Calvin Klein, closing for Marc Jacobs, opening Carolina Herrera, and occupying both spots at Doo.Ri.

After New York, she walked 20 shows in Milan, and 13 in Paris for the fall 2008 collections, with 64 shows in a single season.

Kloss found herself in the middle of a legal dispute when her former agency, Elite Model Management, sued Next Management for allegedly stealing its star by offering her "improper compensation" to sign; Elite Model Management felt they were responsible for launching her career.

The case was eventually settled out of court.

After four years of being represented by Next Management, Kloss signed with IMG Models (also leaving Mother Model Management in St. Louis).

She has been in advertisements for Rebecca Taylor, Jean Paul Gaultier, Donna Karan, Nina Ricci, Chloé, Lacoste, Sportmax, Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Elie Saab, Dolce & Gabbana, Gap, Bally Shoe, Bergdorf Goodman, Pringle of Scotland, Dior, Hermès, Oscar de la Renta, Sonia Rykiel, Aquascutum, Topshop, Eryn Brinie, Uniqlo, Omnia Jade, Lord & Taylor, Barneys New York, American Eagle, Victoria's Secret PINK, and Adidas.

Kloss is the face of the Marc Jacobs fragrance Lola.

She has walked for numerous designers in New York, London, Milan, and Paris, including Shiatzy Chen, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Givenchy, Gucci, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Elie Saab.

Kloss has appeared in editorials for American and Korean W, American Elle, Allure, i-D, French and Japanese Numéro, Vanity Fair, Dazed & Confused; and American, Australian, Italian, French, British, Korean, German, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, Portuguese, Teen, and Latin American editions of Vogue magazine.

She notably appeared on 12 international Vogue covers, including Vogue Italia, in a five-year span.

She appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue, alongside Chanel Iman and Ali Michael in February 2008, and by herself in May 2010.

She made her first venture into television when she appeared in the Gossip Girl episode "Belles de Jour" as herself.

She became a muse for fashion designer John Galliano, and has appeared in Dior and John Galliano campaigns.

She opened both shows, Christian Dior Haute Couture and Dior resort for spring/summer 2010.

In 2011, Kloss graduated from Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, Missouri, where she was a cheerleader.

In the spring/summer 2011 season, she opened ten shows and closed eight.

Her runway walk, one of the most unusual, is often described as powerful.

Kloss's height, long legs, and precise placement of one foot perfectly in front of the other in fluid motion distinguish her catwalk stride, usually garnished with a serious, sultry expression.

Kloss has described her runway walk a "moody gait".

Kloss was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2013 until 2015; she resigned to study at New York University.

Models.com has said that Kloss "represents the gold standard of modeling—a girl with the look, the poise, and the drive to take things to the next level", and she ranks on their "New Supers" and "Money Girl" lists.

In 2013, the family moved to Goshen, New York to support her modeling career.

Kloss has called her classical ballet training "a beautiful thing" that taught her how to move in the modeling world and was a great training ground for her runway walk.

In September 2015, Kloss enrolled in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study of New York University.

Kloss was discovered at a local benefit runway show.

By 2019, she had appeared on 40 international Vogue covers.

Outside of modeling, Kloss has an interest in technology and has founded the "Kode with Klossy" camp, which aims to get young girls interested in STEM fields.

In 2019, Kloss became the host of the reality competition television series Project Runway.

She has signed with several top modeling agencies throughout her career including Elite Model Management, Next Management, IMG Models, and The Society Management.