Paulina Porizkova is a renowned model, author, and actress. Born in Czechoslovakia

(now the Czech Republic), her early life was defined by the political turmoil of the Cold

War. Paulina moved to Sweden when she was 7 years old, reuniting with her parents

after they had initially fled the country leaving her in the care of her grandmother.

Paulina's modeling career began serendipitously at age 15 after a friend sent her photos to

a modeling agency. She was signed with Elite Models and moved to Paris.

She became a global sensation when she graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated

Swimsuit Issue at age 18, making her the first woman from Central Europe to do so. She

appeared on the cover again the following year, becoming only the second model to be

featured in consecutive years. Paulina made a powerful return to the Sports Illustrated

Swimsuit Issue in 2018, nearly 35 years after her cover debut, using the high profile

platform to directly confront ageism in the beauty and media industries.

Paulina was a dominant presence throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, gracing the

covers of Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar, and working with legendary photographers

like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. A defining moment was her groundbreaking,

multimillion dollar contract with Estee Lauder which was the highest paying contract at

that time solidifying her status as one of the highest paid models in the world.

Paulina expanded her career into acting and writing. Her film debut was the docu-drama

“Portfolio”, followed by her breakout role in the film “Anna”. She later appeared in

films like “Her Alibi”, and “Arizona Dream”. On television, she was a judge on

“America’s Next Top Model” and competed on “Dancing With The Stars”.

As an author, she co-authored the children’s book “The Adventures of Ralphie the

Roach” followed by the publication of her first novel, “A Model Summer”. In 2022, she

released her memoir, “No Filter: The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful”, a collection of

essays about aging, beauty, grief, and re-invention.

In 2025, she returned to the Estee Lauder family as a Global Ambassador, marking a new,

purposeful phase of their partnership where she actively uses her platform as a role model

to lead conversations around aging, beauty, and self-worth.

Today, Paulina Porizkova continues to use her platform for honest dialogue about aging,

beauty standards, and grief, maintaining a powerful and influential presence across

media.

Model Details

Paulina Porizkova