Karolina Kurkova is a Czech supermodel and actress, best known as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. She was born in Decín, Czechoslovakia, to Josef Kurka, a Czech basketball player, and a Slovak mother.

After a friend sent photos of Kurkova to an agency in Prague, she immediately landed a runway appearance, as well as a commercial and print ad. She was 15 at the time. She later traveled to Milan to gain more experience. There, Miuccia Prada, the designer behind the brand Prada, signed her to a modeling contract. Daughter of a Czech basketball star, Karolina Kurkova inherited her father's figure and height. While Karolina was young she was made fun of for her height but that, along with her beauty, is what would help her succeed so much as a model.

In September 1999, the hard-working 15-year-old model landed a modeling job with fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue, in New York. Moving to New York City, Kurkova, at the tender age of 17, received America's recognition when she graced the cover of the February 2001 edition of Vogue, becoming one of the youngest models ever to appear on the magazine's cover.

Following her Vogue cover, Kurkova became recognized at haute couture fashion shows, and lingerie brand Victoria's Secret chose her to be a part of that year's televised fashion show special in 2001, she made her debut at the show in 2000. Prominent fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent signed Kurkova to modeling contracts, while print campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior, Hugo Boss, Versace, Mango, Rolex Oyster, Salvatore Ferragamo and others helped expose her even more. In the 2002 Victoria's Secret fashion show she modeled the multi-million dollar fantasy bra worth almost $10 million, embellished with rubies and emeralds, which was designed by Hearts on Fire. Dubbed "the next supermodel" by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Kurkova was named "Model of the Year" at the 2002 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards for her noticed hard work ethics when she worked twenty-three weeks straight. Kurkova later signed contracts with designers including Ralph Lauren, Óscar de la Renta, Chanel and Balenciaga.

Since her debut in the international high fashion scene in 2001, Kurkova has consistently walked the ramp in Haute couture and Prêt-à-Porter shows for high-end labels such as, Ready to wear - Alberta Ferretti, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Alexander McQueen, Anna Molinari, Anna Sui, Anne Klein, Balenciaga, Bill Blass, Blumarine, Byblos, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Celine, Chado Ralph Rucci, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Emanuel Ungaro, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jil Sander, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Missoni, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Rocco Barocco, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang. Haute Couture - Azzedine Alaia, Chanel, Christian Dior, Elie Saab, Emanuel Ungaro, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Valentino.

Kurkova has appeared in almost 20 Vogue magazine covers from around the world including French, Italian, American, UK, German, Russian, Greek and Korean Vogue. She also appeared as the new face for Dell. Kurkova has also graces the covers of various international editions of Elle magazine and has also been featured in fashion spreads in other major fashion magazines including the international editions of Vanity Fair and The Face. In Germany she covered the GQ SUMMER STYLE GQ Sommer Stil and the Park Avenue besides that she was part of many articles in fashion magazines like Max or Gala. She has worked with well-known fashion photographers including Steven Klein, Mario Sorrenti, and Mario Testino. Kurkova has been featured on sixty magazine covers since the age of 17 and still counting.

She was again featured in the 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, showcasing the multimillion dollar fantasy bra, this one worth $6.5 million, decked with almost 2000 diamonds weighing 800 carats, and a centerpiece diamond brooch weighing 10 carats. She happens to be the only other Victoria's secret angel besides Heidi Klum to model the multimillion dollar bra at the annual Victoria's secret fashion show twice in 2002 and 2006. Karolina has done several print and ad campaigns for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret. Although she was one of the most visible models of the Victoria's Secret fashion show since 2001, she only happened to be contracted as an Angel in 2005 possibly due to the policy of Victoria's Secret of contracting models only above the age of 21, Kurkova turned 21 in 2005. Rumors say that she won't renew her contract, and will end working as an Angel in the end of 2008.

Kurkova is among the world's top-earning models,having earned an estimated $5 million in the year 2007. She was placed at the 6th position in the Forbes annual list of the highest earning supermodels.

She has no navel - possibly as a result of an abdominal operation in infancy. Lingerie and swimwear photographs are often altered by the addition of an image of a navel, to hide this.

In December 2007, she could be seen in print ads for Dell and was featured on the February 2008 cover of Esquire magazine, re-creating the classic 1966 Angie Dickinson cover on Esquire's 75th anniversary along with fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima, Izabel Goulart and Selita Ebanks. Model.com featured her at No.5 on the list of the hottest models today. She graced the cover of Elle magazine's February 2008 issue and appeared only in shoes, diamonds and gloves for the November 2007 issue of Vanity Fair celebrating 20 years of supermodels with her fellow Angels. Karolina was chosen to be a part of People magazine's 100 most beautiful people in the world, sharing that space with her fellow 'Angels', with whom she also received a star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" prior to the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Kurkova is currently represented by top modeling agencies such as Viva Models - Paris.

In the last Cía Marítima fashion show, Kurkova's unexpectedly heavier physique brought criticism from the Brazilian press as having "too much back fat, love handles and cellulite". This sparked a discussion on the media, on why a woman with an average body is considered fat.

In November 2008, E! Entertainment Television voted her the world's sexiest woman, beating the likes of Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Gisele Bündchen and her fellow angels Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima.

Birth name: Karolína Isela Kurková
Date of birth: February 28, 1984
Place of birth: Děčín, Czech Republic
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Hair color: Blonde
Eye color: Green
Measurements: 34.5B-25-35 (US), 87-64-89 (EU)
Weight: 59 kg (130 lb, 9.3 st)
Dress size: 4 (US); 34 (EU)
Shoe size: 9 (US); 41 (EU)
Agency: DNA Model Management, Viva Model Management