Karolina Kurkova is in Dubai, and she’s complaining. Well, isn’t that what we expect of our supermodels? But she’s not hollering for another Diet Coke. Then 1.80-metre Czech beauty breaks into a smile, at once dazzling and friendly, and the nervous band of photographers in front of her realise the joke’s on them.
“Say something!” she hollered at the gaggle of journalists as she twirled her Elie Saab dress and giggled on the red carpet at a glamorous party in Dubai on Tuesday night. “Tell me to pose -- this is a photoshoot, right?” Kurkova said, laughing yet bemused at the silence around her. It would seem this is a model cut from a different cloth.
Kurkova, a 28-year-old who got her first Vogue cover at 17 and has found wider fame as a Victoria’s Secret model, was in Dubai to add an extra dose of glamour to the launch party for a duo of Arabic-languages websites devoted to luxury, ra2ed.com and gheir.com. Also at the party was Lebanese pop star stars Nicole Saba and Emirati singer Abdallah Bil Kheir.
At least the younger generation of photographers -- ready to tweet a mobile phone snapshot -- was more vocal. At least a dozen or so young women clamoured to have their picture taken with the model, many of them shrieking and telling her “you are my favourite model, I love you!”, much to Kurkova’s amusement.
Once she had a pause in the photography, she told tabloid! about her Dubai visit and gave us a peek inside her model world.
What have you been up to in Dubai?
I just arrived few days ago. I went to see the Dubai Mall, which was incredible, I kissed the sharks -- no i didn’t go diving, it was through the glass. I was asked by the divers, who were trying to get me in. I do like experiences, but I don’t know if swimming with sharks is <ital>my<ital> experience.
You were at Naomi Campbell’s party in Rajasthan. How was it?
All the women were made saris that we were given, with the most incredible detail. The party was amazing, they worked so hard on it. I was doing a TV show with Naomi while she was planning this party so I know how hard she worked on it. She was always saying “I have to get on the phone with India!”. She worked really hard and it was something you would never forget.
What’s the show you are working on?
The show is called the face, it’s me, Naomi Campbell and Coco Rocha working with young aspiring models. It’s like The Voice but for fashion.
So what’s your advice for young models?
You’ll have to watch the show.
Alexander Wang has been named the new designer at Balenciaga. Thoughts?
I think it’s fantastic, I think he’s amazing and I love Alex. He’s young , he’s got lots of talent and I think it will be great for the house. He understands what real women like to wear, so I think he’s a good choice. I am sad that Nicholas [Ghesquiere, who left Balenciaga last month] won’t be there but I know he’s going to do something. I’m happy he’s not just stopping.
