[You can read an extended multimedia version of this article at 2beMag #12, with photogallery]
Karlie Kloss was born in Chicago, Illinois, and her family moved to suburban St. Louis, Missouri in 1995. She was named the best model by People magazine in 2008. She began studying at Caston’s Ballet Academy in 2002. She soon became very talented at dance, and was in a number of performances such as the Nutcracker.
When Kloss was 13, she was discovered at a charity fashion show in St. Louis. She was encouraged and inspired to model by one of her teachers in Webster Groves High School. In 2007, she signed with Elite Model Management before controversially moving to NEXT Model Management in January 2008.
She has been in advertisements for Donna Karan, Nina Ricci, Chloé, Lacoste, Sportmax, Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Gap, Bergdorf Goodman, Pringle of Scotland, Dior, Hermes, Oscar de la Renta, Sonia Rykiel, Barneys New York, and American Eagle. Kloss is the face of the Marc Jacobs fragrance Oh Lola! She has walked for numerous designers in New York, London, Milan and Paris, including Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Gucci, Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Versace, editorials for American and Korean W, American Elle, Allure, i-D and French and Japanese Numéro. Her covers include Italian Vogue in October 2009 and January 2010, Vogue Turkey, Vogue Portugal, Vogue China in February,
August, and November in 2010, Vogue Korea and American Teen Vogue, alongside Chanel Iman and Ali Michael in February 2008 and by herself in May 2010. In the Spring/Summer 2011 Season, she opened 10 shows and closed 8. Since Spring 2010, Karlie has consecutively opened the show and become the face of Christian Dior, as well as John Galliano.
In 2011 Kloss renewed her contract with Christian Dior for the third season in a row.
