Karolína Kurková was born in Decín, Czech Republic, to Josef Kurka, a Czech basketball player, and a Slovak mother. But after a friend sent photos of Kurková to an agency in Prague, she – at 15 – landed a runway appearance, as well as a commercial and print advertising. in September 1999, Kurková appeared in the American edition of fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue, and after moving to New York City at the age of 17, graced the cover of the February 2001 edition. Prominent fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent signed Kurková to contracts, while print campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, John Galliano, Chanel, Christian Dior, Hugo Boss, Versace, H&M, and others helped expose her even more. Kurková was named “Model of the Year” at the 2002 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, in part for her work ethic, having worked twenty-three weeks straight.
