Heidi Klum: Thanks to Diversity, I Can Keep Working

Heidi Klum (52) will receive a new honor on November 14 in Berlin. The German edition of Glamour magazine is honoring entrepreneur, television 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 after 30 years she remains among the world’s top supermodels,” the magazine explained on Instagram when announcing the decision.

With her long career, self-confidence, and her commitment to increasing diversity in the fashion industry, Heidi Klum has inspired women worldwide and set new standards, Glamour writes on its website. “I’m beyond excited! Especially because I know I’m standing in a lineup with so many amazing women. Being included is a real compliment—and it reminds me how much you can achieve if you just keep going,” Klum said.

Thanks to more diversity, at 52 I remain a sought-after model

The push for greater diversity also fuels Heidi Klum’s own modeling career today, as she tells the magazine. “Thanks to the current diversity, I can continue to work. When I turned 40, I was already asked if I would hang up my career. About ten years ago the industry looked very different…”
She adds: “But now things are changing more and more, and I’m seeing Best Ager on some fashion shows. And at 52, I apparently belong to that group as well,” Klum laughs. “Vivienne Westwood’s show, for instance, was incredibly diverse overall: not only in age, but in sizes, height, there were men with thinning hair, and so on…”

Heidi Klum: “We definitely must keep fighting!”

Also in her own TV show “Germany’s Next Topmodel,” Heidi Klum continues to advocate for more diverse people to have a shot at a modeling career. The work is far from finished. “We definitely need to keep fighting! I myself have a very commercial show, and it’s important that I push forward here as well. But: We’re not there yet where we need to be.”
She notes, “I see in our auditions that some 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 generally accepted, Petite Models still have a tremendously hard time.”
Her breakthrough included, among other things, the 1998 iconic Sports Illustrated cover in the United States. She also fought at times during her career to promote more diversity in modeling. She recalls: “When I started, I was told a few times that I didn’t fit the then-popular ‘model image.’ But I never let that discourage me.”
Her daughter Leni Klum (21) is already a sought-after model. Son Henry (20) debuted on the runway this year. The 52-year-old isn’t worried that her two oldest children will too soon navigate the often tough path of the fashion industry. “They grew up with my job and learned from an early age that it isn’t all glamour. While others only see the final product, they know how much work goes into it: long calls with my producer, memorizing lines, countless fittings… I think they’re approaching it with a lot of awareness. They know success doesn’t come overnight.”