Karlie Kloss is an American supermodel and entrepreneur who has established herself as a prominent figure in the fashion industry. In September 2014, she appeared on the cover of the renowned Vogue magazine alongside several other celebrated models, including Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls, Arizona Muse, Edie Campbell, Fei Fei Sun, Vanessa Axente, Imaan Hammam, and Andreea Diaconu. Beyond her modeling career, Kloss has been actively involved in charitable initiatives, supporting organizations that provide food to undernourished children around the world. A graduate of New York University, she is also committed to empowering young women through education. She supports initiatives that offer scholarships and opportunities for girls interested in studying software engineering and computer science.
Childhood & Early Life
Karlie Kloss was born on August 3, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, to Tracy and Kurt Kloss. Her mother works as a freelance director, while her father is an emergency physician. She comes from a family with Danish, German, and Polish roots, and her great-grandfather was originally from Poland.
Kloss grew up with three sisters: Kimberly, Kariann, and Kristine. Kimberly and Kariann are twins. When Karlie was two years old, her family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where she spent most of her childhood.
During her early years, Kloss attended classical ballet classes. She later explained that her ballet training helped her develop the posture, balance, and movement required for runway modeling. She has credited this training as one of the important influences on her success in the fashion industry. She attended Webster Groves High School in Missouri.
Career of Karlie Kloss
Kloss entered the modeling industry in 2006 after being discovered by a modeling agent at a local charity fashion show in St. Louis. The opportunity led to several modeling offers and encouraged her to pursue the profession seriously.
That same year, she appeared in the June issue of Scene Magazine in an editorial feature titled “Almost Famous.” She was also featured on the magazine’s cover, with photographs taken in Chicago by photographer David Leslie Anthony.
Her photographs from Scene Magazine were forwarded by the Chicago branch of Elite Modeling Agency to its New York office. Representatives from Elite New York subsequently contacted her and brought her to the city. One of her earliest assignments through the agency was a campaign for Abercrombie Kids, photographed by renowned fashion photographer Bruce Weber.
In January 2008, Kloss signed with NEXT Model Management. The move proved to be a significant step in her career, as she walked the runway 64 times during a single fashion season. She appeared at shows in New York, Milan, and Paris for prominent designers, including Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, and Doo-Ri Chung.
Her departure from Elite New York led to a legal dispute, with the agency accusing NEXT Model Management of improperly recruiting one of its young models through an allegedly inadequate compensation arrangement. Elite also argued that it had played a central role in establishing Kloss’s career. The two agencies eventually resolved the dispute out of court.
In February 2008, Kloss appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue alongside Chanel Iman and Ali Michael. In October 2009, she graced the cover of the Italian edition of Vogue. She subsequently became a frequent presence in international editions of the magazine, including those published in Turkey, China, Portugal, Japan, Germany, and France.
Kloss became a regular model for the French fashion house Christian Dior, which selected her for a third consecutive season in 2011. After representing NEXT Model Management for four years, she signed with IMG Models. In 2012, she co-hosted MTV’s House of Style alongside fellow model Joan Smalls.
In 2013, Kloss appeared in advertising campaigns for major fashion labels such as Donna Karan, Lacoste, and Lanvin. She also modeled for Victoria’s Secret, participating in a promotional video for the brand’s 2013 summer swimwear collection. In April of that year, she appeared in a campaign for luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton. She was also appointed a brand ambassador for the American fashion company Coach Inc. and featured in its promotional campaigns.
During 2014, Kloss modeled for several prominent brands, including Donna Karan, Nike, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Lancaster. She also appeared in promotional campaigns for Chanel’s Coco Noir fragrance. In collaboration with the denim label Frame Denim, she launched a denim collection bearing her name. That September, she signed with L’Oréal Paris to represent the French beauty company’s products.
In September 2014, Kloss appeared on the cover of Vogue alongside several other prominent models. During the same year, she partnered with online eyewear retailer Warby Parker to develop a collection of glasses, with proceeds from the collaboration donated to a charitable organization.
In 2015, Kloss appeared in the music video for “I’ll Be There” by the American band Chic. She also featured in Taylor Swift’s music video for “Bad Blood.” Later, she joined Swift onstage during performances at London’s Hyde Park and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In July 2015, Kloss launched her YouTube channel, Klossy, where she shared content related to her professional and personal life. In May 2016, she became a representative for the crystal manufacturer Swarovski.
Kloss expanded her television appearances in 2017 by appearing on the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World. That year, she also announced her own television program, Movie Night with Karlie Kloss, which was scheduled to air on Freeform, a television channel owned by Disney. She additionally appeared in the March 2017 issue of American Vogue.
In April 2018, Kloss was announced as the spokesmodel and brand ambassador for luxury cosmetics company Estée Lauder. She also became associated with Marc Jacobs’ fragrance brand Lola.
Throughout her modeling career, Kloss has worked with numerous internationally recognized fashion houses and designers. Her portfolio includes campaigns and runway appearances for Adidas, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Pringle of Scotland, Dolce & Gabbana, Nina Ricci, Christian Dior, and Hermès, among others.
Kloss has received recognition for her distinctive runway walk, confident presentation, and professional poise. Vogue included her among its top 30 models of the 2000s, while a prominent modeling website described her as representing a high standard in the profession because of her appearance, confidence, and composure.
Family & Personal Life
Kloss began dating businessman Joshua Kushner in 2012. Joshua is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump. In July 2018, Karlie and Joshua announced their engagement. Before the announcement, Kloss had converted to Judaism, the religion practiced by the Kushner family.
Beyond modeling and entrepreneurship, Kloss has developed a strong interest in computer programming. She has worked with educational initiatives and charitable organizations to encourage young girls to explore computer science and software engineering.
To pursue her academic interests, Kloss took a two-year break from modeling and enrolled at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
She has also made guest appearances on various YouTube channels. In November 2017, she appeared on the channel Superwoman, operated by Canadian YouTube personality Lilly Singh.