Karolina Kurkova has certainly made her mark in the modeling world, landing a spot among the Victoria's Secret Angels and being named as one of the highest-earning models in the world, according to Forbes. But it didn't come easy. The Czech model opens up to The EDIT about her lengthy career and how social media makes it much easier for new models to "make it" in the biz.
"When I started modeling there was no social media, I didn't come from a rich family and I didn't date anyone famous—my work spoke for me. I'm glad, because I learned discipline, dedication and patience, and it kept me grounded," she explains. "Now you can be famous so easily and it's dangerous, it can mess with your head. People are coming from left and right with two million followers and, whether they say they're a model or a stylist, they've never trained, never worked with anybody, never sacrificed anything."
Kurkova, who has also appeared in movies, claims this new type of attainable success isn't fair to those who have trained and worked with mentors and instructors for years.
"They're taking work from people who gave up their time and energy to learn their craft," she adds. "I'm not judging, but who's going to have the longevity? You might be cool right now, but how long will it last? Are people going to get tired of you?"
Sixteen years later, however, Kurkova is surprised she still has an active career. Even though there are so many up and comers, she doesn't allow herself to compare herself to them.
"I'm amazed I'm still around; we live in such a fast-paced world and get over everything so quickly," she says. "I don't allow myself to compete with the new girls—what good is thinking like that? When you're older, you're more confident and comfortable. And there's something to be said about being seasoned, rather than being very new and raw and now knowing what you're doing."
Despite her success on and off the catwalk, Kurkova still hasn't gotten used to the term "supermodel." In fact, she'd prefer people not use it to describe her. "It doesn't really mean anything. It's a strange word. I prefer it when people say I'm cool, or that I'm a hard worker, or I'm nice," she says.
"Those are bigger compliments than saying I'm a supermodel. It's just a title."
To see The EDIT's full interview with Karolina Kurkova go to Net-a-Porter or download the free EDIT app at the App Store and Google Play.