Model Behaviour

From ruling the Victoria’s Secret runway, to winning an Emmy for Project Runway, Heidi Klum is showing the world who’s boss.

- Alison De Souza

It is the honorific most readily assigned to her, but “supermodel” doesn’t quite cut it when describing Heidi Klum.

The 43-year-old still scribbles  “model” under “occupation” when filling out forms. But as the de facto queen of reality television competitions, the former Victoria’s Secret Angel and Sports Illustrated cover girl is more media mogul than mannequin these days. And in an industry littered with the pulverised egos of models who have tried but failed to become actresses or talking heads, Klum has quietly conquered an entire genre, appearing on not one but three top-rated series: America’s Got Talent, Germany’s Next Top model and Project Runway, the latter earning her the 2013 Emmy for Best Reality Competition Host.

Fans of these shows know she does not coast on her looks, either, earning a reputation as a tough but fair judge and host whose pronouncements—delivered in deceptively dulcet Teutonic tones—are often right on the money. Yet the 43-year-old wears her showbiz power-player status lightly. In the middle of a day packed with design meetings for her swimwear and lingerie lines, she greets Harper’s BAZAAR at her Los Angeles offices with a sunny hello, and proceeds to be unfailingly charming and attentive—even though, it turns out, she is running on fumes today.