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Met Gala 2026

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- I just wanna ask, why did you wanna come back? - If something bad happens, I'm not gonna dwell on it, I'm not looking back. - You're also a Victoria's Secret girl. - I always felt like I knew what my worth is. If you don't wanna do something, you say "No." - In all the years that I worked on "Project Runway," you were the first person in, never late, maybe one time you were late. - I think because I was hungover. - You were hungover! (both laughing) Hi, I am Nina Garcia, and today's guest is a true multi-hyphening; she's a supermodel, television personality, a longtime colleague, and a dear friend. This is "Defining: Heidi Klum." Heidi Klum, I'm so happy to be with you again! - I'm happy to be with you. - We've known each other for so long. - I would say 30 years. - 30 years is a long time. - [Heidi] Right? - Yes. - I mean, it has to be. - Yes, because I first met you when you were a model. - I was on many, many ELLE shoots, always with Gilles Bensimon. Out of a lot of magazines, I have to say, you and ELLE magazine, and Gilles really gave me a chance to model for like a fashion magazine, because I was always doing catalogs at the time. - Yeah, but you were also a Victoria's Secret girl. - Yeah, but I was kind of like, you know how when you have the soccer players that are playing soccer, and you have the ones that are on the bench waiting for someone to hurt their leg, and then they can have a go? Took a while with Victoria's Secret. When we had a day of shoot, they would maybe have me do two looks. They kind of wanted to see first if what I'm wearing sells. - Right. - So they're not gonna put you in like 10, 12 shots. So I was always sitting on the sideline waiting my turn when I could do a photo, you know? - Right. - So I did that for a long time, and then, later, they were like, "Oh, okay, things are selling." - Okay, but I have to tell you, because back then, the newsstand sales were really important, and your covers sold. Really, those are some of my favorite covers. - Yes! - (chuckles) Yes. (whimsical music) - Heidi Klum for elle.com. Take one. (clapperboard clacking) - Speaking about the modeling industry, and when you were going through that, and, at that time, it was so sexualized in the media and in entertainment, and there's so much abuse going on. How did you protect yourself, and what advice do you give to the women coming up? - I also have two daughters. - That's right. - And, you know, so I tell them, and especially my oldest daughter, she is now in the industry, she's been modeling for five years, I waited till she was 16. - Leni. - Yeah. I told her, you know, in the beginning, I would accompany her, and then later on, I'm like, "I don't wanna always be like the mom that's sitting there," and like, you know, I think it's important at one point, then they do this by themselves, when she was old enough, like at 18. But I told her, "If you don't wanna do something, you say 'No.' You don't have to be like horrible about it. If they say like, 'We want you naked,' you don't want it, you say 'No.'" Obviously, before you do a job, you know what the assignment is. For me, for example, I won't do like a fur campaign, or I won't do an alcohol campaign, or things like that let's say. You always get asked before you do a job if you wanna do the job or not, anything else, or if it's lingerie, or if it's swimsuit, you are always told before by your agent. So you can't say "Yes" to the job, and then you get there, and you're like, "Mm, I feel bloated, I'm not gonna wear the swimsuit." - Right. - Not like that kind of saying "No." - Right. - But I feel like you need to know where the line is in order to protect yourself. - And did you feel like you had moments, at that time when you were starting, that you were like, "I am getting out of here-" - Yeah. - "Because this doesn't feel right." - Yes, many times. - Many times. - Yes. I always felt like I knew what my worth is, and I was always like, "This is not what I wanna do. Everyone can do what they wanna do, I'm going home-" - Right. - You know what I mean? - You were a model, you were a successful model, what was the moment in your career that you were like, "You know what? I don't wanna do this anymore. I need to do more." - I remember running around New York and going from network to network and trying to sell "Project Runway." No one wanted it, like people were like, "This sounds so boring." You know, you have to pitch, it's like I went to all the pitch meetings. If it was MTV or, you know, you name it, I went to all of them with all the producers at the time, and they were like, "Mm, yeah, it doesn't sound like people would be wanting to watch people sew." And we're like, "No, because you have no idea. People in this industry, they're very passionate, they're flamboyant, and they're loud, and they're fun, and they're like amazing people, and they have an amazing craft to show. So watching that process, also putting a time crunch on it, and not giving them a lot of money, and putting them all together is gonna be amazing." And they were like, "Nah." So most of them declined, declined, declined. - And it was a enormous success. - [Heidi] Yeah. - It was the first of its kind, and it came at such an incredible moment that it really was like a boom. - Yeah. Hello, everybody, welcome! - [Group] Hi! - You're in New York, 12 of you, the cream of the crop. - I've always been inspired by your work ethic. I mean, every time they ask me about you, this is one of the things that I love to say. In all the years that I worked on "Project Runway," you were the first person in, the first person, never late, maybe one time you were late in all the years that we worked together. That was so wild. - I think because I was hungover. - You were hungover! (both laughing) - Going back to the work ethic, the first one on set, and the last one to leave. - Well, yeah, when we were- - Never complained, not once. - Well, when we wrapped, I kind of had to then make up for the mistakes that I did during the day. Sometimes, I didn't say it correctly, or it needed to have like a faster flow or something. Everything was memorized, there wasn't an earpiece, or a cue card- - That is so true. - Or a prompter. Like, people probably always think there's a prompter standing somewhere there. I had to like memorize everything. So, in the moment sometimes, I couldn't do it as fluent as I wanted to. So I was up there till like two in the morning to do pickups of all the things I messed up during the day, because also I wanted it to be good. - That must have been a defining moment for you. - Yeah. - Like, "I did this, and I did it so well," and then- - No, of course, it all feels great, obviously, when you have people that are actually liking what you're doing. In fashion, one day you're in, and the next day, you're out. - So I just wanna ask, why did you wanna come back? - Where? - To "Project Runway!" - Oh. Why? Because it's my baby. - It is your baby. - It is my first- - It is your baby, and your baby missed you! I'm coming to say "Hi!" Hi! - Hi! Good to see you. - Let's talk a little bit about fashion. - Yes. - What do you love about fashion for yourself? - You would think after so many years when you see stuff, you're like bored. For me, no, I see a certain thing, even when I go to fittings, when I do a show, you know, for example, "Topmodel," that's probably like one of the biggest, where I need the most clothes, I need like 60 looks or something like that. So I literally spent like two days just fitting clothes. And I still, when I see something, I put it on and it is like amazing, I'm like, "How do they come up with this? This is incredible. The way it's cut, the fabrics they use, the metals that are on there, the combinations, the mix-match of stuff," you know? - You take a lot of risks with fashion. - Yeah. - I feel like you- - Yeah. - Like you said it, "Yes sir, like, for me, more is more." - Yeah. (chuckles) (Nina chuckles) Yeah, because I feel like I am out, there's people all over the place that see when I'm going somewhere, I'm not gonna go in something snoozy, like, I feel like I'm in the industry of dreaming, of exploring newness, seeing different makeups or outfits. So I feel like I need to be wearing these fun things. - Does it upset you if you get a comment, a negative comment? - Sure. It's not nice, of course, but I still did not wanna change, you know, who I was. - Who you are. - You know, and people would be like, "Oh, this looks crazy," or, you know, I was on the don't page many times, you know, there were these fashion TV shows where, you know, you just walk the carpet, and they rip you and shred you. - Yes, yes. - I had it many times. But I feel like we're all individually different, and I was always more colorful, and I just wouldn't listen to anybody. ♪ Heard you go ♪ ♪ You put your hands up ♪ ♪ You better get it steady and ready ♪ ♪ I'm planning handcuffs ♪ - We could go into your personal life. There's been highs, there's been lows. How does Heidi... Yes. And but- - "Yay! Oh." (chuckles) - But, but... But you have this like positivity, like, how do you deal with adversity? - I mean, if something bad happens, I'm not gonna dwell on it, I'm not looking back on it. I look at what's ahead. - What is on your bucket list. You have done everything, a lot of things. - Right now, on my bucket list is four weeks of vacation. (Nina laughing) - That you deserve. - For me, that is like success, to do nothing, not having to do something. - Aw, I'm happy for you. - Thank you. - Okay, we're gonna play a rapid fire game of Inner Circle. I'm going to read you a scenario, and you have to tell me who in your life would be there in that moment. Okay, Heidi, who is the first person you call when you get good news? - [Heidi] Tom. - Who do you call when you get bad news? - Tom. (Nina chuckles) - Who is the most down to take a spontaneous vacation with you? - Tom. (Nina chuckles) - Who's pushing you out of your comfort zone? - I don't know, nobody really. - No, you, Heidi. - I don't know. When I'm sitting in the plane, this pushes me out of my comfort zone, "I can't fly this damn thing," that's the problem. - What do you mean? - Like, "I hate sitting in this little tube." I'm always like, "I hope this guy knows what he's doing. If something were to happen, and they don't freak out in the front," you know? - So you're a nervous flyer. - Yes, it's, you know, the luck of the draw, if you have the captain that knows what's going on- - That's so scary. - You know? - Now, was there a group of women that supported you? - I mean, of course, of course. You know, like Desiree Gruber- - Desiree, of course. - You know? She's been, you know, by my side from the very beginning, like, even before I had Victoria's Secret, she was a friend of mine. And, you know, I said, you know, "So what you do?" And she's like, "I'm a publicist." And I'm like, "This sounds like a foreign language to me, what you're saying." She's like, "Well, if you have something interesting, I'm gonna get it out to the masses. I'm gonna make sure people know about it." And I'm like, "Okay, can you do something like that with me?" She's like, "Well, you don't really have anything that is of interest at this point." So then I got Sports Illustrated- - [Nina] Right, right. - Then I got Victoria's Secret, and then she's like, "All right, now I can go to town with this." - And who keeps you humble? - Who keeps me humble? Honestly, I try to keep myself humble. Don't you? - 100%. - I don't need someone to tell me that I'm lucky- - But don't you think- - I know. - Your family also keeps you grounded and humble? - Yeah, but at the end of the day, I brush my teeth every morning in the mirror, I see myself. So I have that reflection, and I know that I'm lucky. I know I worked for everything, you know, but I know that I'm lucky. So I feel like I don't need anyone to tell me how lucky I am, I know. - Right, you're thankful. - I am very thankful, yeah. - You have the gratitude. Yeah. - I do. - Yeah. Anyway, love you. - I love you too. - Love you, and I'm so proud of you. (Heidi chuckles) (orchestral upbeat music)

Heidi Klum may have done it all— but what truly defines her? In the premiere episode of ELLE’s "Defining", the supermodel, Emmy-winning television personality, and entrepreneur sits down with Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia to reflect on the highs and lows of a nearly three-decade career. From her early days as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and her fearless fashion choices, to returning to 'Project Runway' and raising her children in the spotlight, Heidi opens up like never before. Watch as the two get candid about friendship, resilience, personal growth, and the power of saying no.

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