Karolina Kurkova was born on February 28, 1984 in the small town of Decin, Czech Republic. She began her model career at a young age. Photos of her were sent to a modeling agency in the capital city of Prague, and right away she began getting work in print ads and on catwalks. As she began to get more and more serious about her line of work, at 15 she traveled to Milan to gain experience at the center of the fashion world. While there, she was signed almost immediately to a contract with Prada.

The editors of Vogue magazine also took notice and the result was a move to New York, where Karolina constantly found plenty of work. After her cover appearance on the February 2001 issue of Vogue, Kurkova gained recognition that resulted in deals with Yves Saint Laurent, Tommy Hilfiger, and Victoria's Secret. She also quickly racked up the magazine covers and became one of the most demanded models. The constant and hard-working Karolina was even named "Model of the Year" by Vogue at the 2002 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards after at one point putting in over 23 straight weeks of work.

Most in the fashion industry see her as bright and energetic, and her great attitude has made her a favorite of designers and photographers to work with. This model currently lives in New York City.