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Conversation | 07/18/2008 12:00 am

The Liz Smith Interview Part Three: Heidi Klum on Fashion, Starter Husbands and Face-lifts

Editor’s Note: Heidi Klum has expanded her career far beyond the realm of modeling with the hit reality television show "Project Runway," for which she is host and co-executive producer. In a candid interview with wowOwow’s Liz Smith, Heidi talks about the show and more. Season five of "Project Runway" premiered on Wednesday, July 16th, on Bravo.

Click the play button below to watch the video.

Get the Flash Player to view this video.

LIZ: This is interesting because you don’t have to go into therapy doing this show. You’ve now realized your own potential. You’ve changed along with the show to some extent.

HEIDI: Well, I’m just more open about it. In the beginning, I was a little bit more private about it — or maybe I now say what a lot of people are thinking but they may be too afraid to actually say it. And, I don’t know, I just do now. I feel more comfortable in front of the camera and I think we all are. All of the judges, Michael and Nina … we say more of what’s on our mind now.

LIZ: In other words: it’s a reality show but it’s not being scripted to be mean or judgmental in any unreal way but, of course, it is a sort of contest. It’s an example of talent, maybe not so talented, maybe great.

HEIDI: And I always say at the end of the day, you count this on the gold scale.
Whatever I say, or whoever says … that’s just our opinion. There are so many opinions, and it might be that someone else does not have the same opinion as I have — and I’m not saying what I say is right and it has to be right and this is what the law is. I’m just saying my opinion: "I don’t like this because of these reasons and I like this because of these reasons." So, everyone has a different opinion, just on our show, it’s the three of us who sit in the judging panel … that make the decisions for our particular show.

You have to go through different stages of different relationships and you always learn something and take something with you.

Click here to read Part One: Heidi Klum on Modeling and Sex

Click here to read Part Two: Heidi Klum on Shoes, Bloggingstocks and Husband Seal.

Click here for photos of Heidi Klum and her various ventures.

 

LIZ: What have you learned about fashion doing this show or what has changed in your opinion? Do you think fashion has changed a lot?

HEIDI: I think fashion always changes, yeah. I mean, just looking at myself and how I’ve changed in the last five years. I’ve been doing "Project Runway" now for five years and I feel like I’ve gotten more experimental — with my hair, with makeup, with shoes, with clothes, it always changes. You always look for new things. I don’t want to always wear the same things. So in the same way how I’m always looking for new clothes to wear, we need new designers that make these new things. And sometimes they come up with things that I’ve seen before so I find them boring or repetitive. Or, sometimes they bring in old ideas and they twist them again and make them new — and make them their own — and that’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for someone who has a new ideal, who has a new twist.

LIZ: That’s what people who don’t care about fashion always say. That it’s only repeating itself and it goes back and it feeds on itself — and everybody’s always stealing from what Yves Saint Laurent did … or somebody else in the past.

HEIDI: I mean, how many original ideas are there? I think it is OK not to borrow but to kind of get inspired by certain things. Sometimes I see something that inspires me to wear something a certain way, or to change my hair a certain way, and then I put my own twist to it. I think sometimes designers do that, too. I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong because they’re not copying it exactly as is. I think sometimes you see something that inspires you and you incorporate that into your own thoughts and your own way of doing things — and I think that’s OK.

LIZ: Do you wear your favorite things over and over? Or — because you’re so much in the public eye and so affiliated with this project — do you wear something different all the time? Do you try?

HEIDI: It’s funny that you say that because I just sold my apartment in New York and I have clothes, things, knickknacks and stuff that have accumulated for the past 14 years … and I can’t part from any of these things because I always think: they better be in fashion again at some point … so I do hold on to the things that I love.

LIZ: You’ll have to get a warehouse and save them.

HEIDI: Yeah, it’s a big problem. I have a very big problem with that. It’s the same with accessories, with shoes. If they’re not broken or if they’re not completely, you know, beaten to death, I kind of feel like I will work them into something again. I will, and I do sometimes. I mean there are a few things that I have honestly not worn in ten years — and who knows if I ever will — but I just can’t get rid of things. It’s terrible.

LIZ: I was just looking at you before you sat down and you have such a wonderful slim figure, and I know you had a baby not too long ago.You’ve got three children?

HEIDI: Yeah, three children.

LIZ: Have you changed a lot? I mean, do you feel your body has changed?

19 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Blue Circle Girl
sound of crickets
By Blue Circle Girl on 07/18/2008 12:32 am
James the Game
I like Heidi, as a person. She seems sincere to me. I do think the chair set-up was really uncomfortable and awkward. Neither has any back support, and it was not aligned well with the cameras. Liz ought to have her own little talk show. She has natural charisma, a wonderful voice. I’d like to host a news/sports talk show some day, on TV or radio. I’ve produced a radio sports-talk show before, and was on the air as almost a co-host, but to organize my own show - wow! I used to listen late at night to Tom Snyder, Larry King and others on the radio, and loved it. Still do listen, but most of the hosts aren’t that great anymore. The shows seem to have an agenda and use a similar schtick: a venomous host he**-bent on raising controversy - and ratings.
By James the Game on 07/18/2008 12:36 am
Blue Circle Girl
OMG James, you are so right … the set sucks …. the shot sucks …. What shows have you produced? Hmmm, on account I wold like to know because I am an affiliate relations Diva … yep, back in the day I was …..
By Blue Circle Girl on 07/18/2008 12:59 am
James the Game
Hi, Blue. I produced “The Starting Line-Up” sports talk show on ‘The Ball’, WBBL-AM 1340 in 2002-2003, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was hosted by Bret Bakita. I did sportscasts during morning-drive, then produced from 8am-10am. As you know, the producing goes way beyond those hours, in terms of dealing with agents and media types to line up talk-show guests. You brainstorm with the host as to who timely guests might be, then you work hard to line them up for a given time-slot, either phone interviews or in-studio. During the air shift, sometimes you might speak on the air (I did) with the host or on-air guests, but you’re constantly fielding phone calls from listeners and others, screening the callers, typing the name of who’s on each phone line onto the computer, so the host knows who’s phoning in on what line. I also researched questions daily for “Fast-Forward Trivia”, a contest in which listeners would try to answer a series of questions in order to win prizes. There’s a whole lot of forms to fill out, paper-shuffling, etc. A lot of work, but fun. I’ve spoken to so many famous people that way. I prefer being out on the street, though. I used to field-report for various stations across the country, and did some stringing for NBC, KCBS, WWJ, WJR, among others. Nothing like live news/sports. Cheers.
By James the Game on 07/18/2008 6:02 pm
Blue Circle Girl
James, OH, dude, god, I miss it ….. I LOVED IT. I had no experience ….. and no education … so, do you wanna’ know what I did? I went to the radio stations in my home town and said I want to do radio and will work for free …. WNNS and WMAY allowed me to do this for 90 days … I took a crash course … I wanted it really badly and I was not playin’ around …. I had my own show w/in 90 days …. and I was doin’ light rock on the weekends …. I LOVED IT … I sent out my resume out west …. I created my own buzz if you will …. I had three big money offers to do affiliate relations and production …. I hopped from OR to Santa Cruz CA to the third largest market in less than 6 months …. then came autism. My little guy has autism and I was takin’ him to the sitter 10 hours everyday …. there was no way I could put my radio career first … M came first. I have been out of the game for 7 years … and you know what they say … “you are where you are” …. and after 7 years I am sadly out of the loop. WoW, I loved radio … just loved it. I truly believe that NY would have been my next stop …. SUCCESS IS A JOB IN NY! Thank you James … :)
By Blue Circle Girl on 07/20/2008 4:00 pm
James the Game
That’s fascinating, Blue. Glad you wrote back. The power supply on my E-Machines computer went belly-up the other night, so I haven’t been on for a couple days. It was at a really inconvenient time (is it ever convenient? ha!), too, because I was embarking on a massive overhaul of my kitchen. I worked until 3:30 a.m. two nights in a row to get it all done. Anyway, interesting that you exclaimed “Wow!”, because one of the radio stations I worked for in 1993 was called WOW-FM (WOWF in Detroit). We had a super news team, but unfortunately, the talk-show hosts were really juvenile on the air, and the ratings plummeted. The station later became WYCD, an FM country station in Southfield, MI. (it was in suburban Royal Oak when it was WOW). I called it Royal Joke. But it was a blast. I anchored overnight newscasts, and then either went out into the field for live morning-drive news reports, or stayed in studio for live in-studio reports. Was news director at a few stations, incidentally: WITL, WMAX, WJPW. Success, if I may pontificate, is doing what you did: caring for your child first and foremost. Fame is illusory. Anyone who thinks she/he is better than someone else because of it is sorely disillusioning her- or him-self. More pontificating on my part, but God puts us where we’re supposed 2 B at any given time. May the Lord bless you.
By James the Game on 07/21/2008 1:41 am
Blue Circle Girl
James, Radio people are sumpin’ else! We are an entirely different animal …. it is our blood …. The first time I knew radio was for me was when I heard Paul Harvey …. also, my father was a HAM radio operator …. I remember thinking how neat it was talking to someone in Japan while we were in IL. and we all were using the same language. The news guys at our stations had all gone to school and worked very hard to get where they were … they were not too thrilled when I walked in and said “hell, how hard can it be …. who, what, where, when and why” I did news, celeb interviews, top forty … you name it I learned it fast …. I WANTED IT. I stayed away from our hard rock sister station … not sure why … I think because they were all on drugs and drunk and stuff …. I had to cram years of education in 90 days …. and for the record it can be done …. you got to want it and you got have it in your blood. Ain’t that right James? I could talk about radio for forever …. thanks again … who knows, maybe I will get back into it at some point … my life is changing very quickly again … I tend to reinvent myself every 7 to 10 years … and when I do watch out on account I don’t really settle for second. And James, I need to apologize to you for the stockings and gui remark (sounds fun though) ….. sometimes I have problem with men and I tend to think they are all alike ….. I can see you are nice person … very sharp …. so, I am sorry for making that stupid remark. Love, Blue Just for fun how old are you?
By Blue Circle Girl on 07/21/2008 2:05 pm
James the Game
I just turned 46, Blue. Did you mean gi, not gui? Gi (gee) is the Japanese term for the martial-arts uniform. When you wear a gi, no legs are visible, but I’m immodest enough to tell you I’d look very good in it. Ha! You are absolutely correct: radio does get into the blood. What very few God-given gifts I have are in voice/speaking and writing, and years of training and education.
By James the Game on 07/22/2008 12:19 am
Blue Circle Girl
Yeah, I am 43 and I knew at the age of 12 that I wanted to do radio! I can’t write very well but I was blessed with this dark husky voice that went over big on air. Also, when I started radio I was very heavy and heard someone say “oh, too bad she is so fat that is why radio is showbiz for ugly people”. I was crushed. I did lose 150 lbs and no one ever said anything like that about me again. And yes, it helped when I went out west to do radio … I had legs up to my ears and nice shape that most certainly helped me get jobs. That is a shame ain’t it? To be judged on looks … there I was under qualified and first hired. About the GI … I was talkin’ about the top of the gi and thigh highs and high heels! I bet you would look great in that too! LOL! What do you do know? You must have job? Why are you not in radio?
By Blue Circle Girl on 07/23/2008 9:00 pm
kermie b
I liked the conversation and I love Project Runway, but they did look uncomfortable on the couch and that made me uncomfortable. I agree, James, the whole interview would have been different if all we had was audio. Remember the Kennedy/Nixon debate? It was said if you listened to it Nixon won, but if you watched it Kennedy won.
By kermie b on 07/18/2008 2:15 am
James the Game
Yes, Kibby. I was born in 1962, but I read all about how, no matter how sharp a razor they used or how much make-up, Tricky Dick’s groomers could not make it look on TV that he had a 5 o’clock shadow. It was said that was the first election won in the TV debates, because Kennedy looked so clean, bright and sauve compared to Nixon. Yet, the vote was very, very close. By the way, Liz has a great voice and personality, but I can tell she’s very inexperienced with the visual aspects of conducting a video interview. The paper-shuffling she was doing and so forth.
By James the Game on 07/18/2008 6:10 pm
James the Game
Oops, meant to say Nixon’s make-up team couldn’t make it look like he DID NOT have a 5 o’clock shadow.
By James the Game on 07/18/2008 6:13 pm
Kay Sara
This woman , Heidi, said she got good mothering advice from Britney Spears, who explained to Heidi that disposable diapers had adhesive tabs to hold the diaper on! She was so impressed with Britney’s knowledge on how to work disposable diapers! Why would I want to read about what this dingbat has to say about anything? No, I did not read a word of the article.
By Kay Sara on 07/18/2008 4:07 am
James the Game
Ha, ha! Too much, K Sara. Even I knew that!
By James the Game on 07/18/2008 6:16 pm
Jane Cougar Melonhat
Not the biggest fan of Heidi either, but in her defense: she was being sarcastic in that interview. Just for you, Kay ;-): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NwDZkadzGg
By Jane Cougar Melonhat on 07/19/2008 10:42 am