Caroline Winberg had “no idea” who Karl Lagerfeld was when she first modelled for Chanel.
The 28-year-old Swedish model has been gracing catwalks in Paris, Milan and New York for 12 years and became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2005. Caroline admits she has come a long way since her early, naive days in the industry.
“I don’t know!” she laughed to the latest UK edition of Elle when asked what the secret is to being a successful model. “I couldn’t walk in high heels; I didn’t get the jokes on set; and when I walked for Chanel Couture, I had no idea who Karl Lagerfeld was.”
Caroline loves being a model and has a series of close pals in the fashion world. She likes to have fun and rarely lets herself feel sad.
“Lara Stone, Lisa Cant, Shannan Click, Gemma Ward and Lily Donaldson,” she replied when asked who she is close to in the industry. “Valentino is lovely; I’ve been in three of his campaigns. I did a few exclusive things for Nicolas Ghesquière too, and spent days with him laughing and eating Thai food. I always try to have a good time whatever I do. Even when I’m alone, I laugh all the time.”
Caroline appears alongside Naomi Campbell in the UK version of The Face and also hosts Sweden’s Next Top Model. The straight-talking blonde admits her competitive streak led to some confrontations while making the talent search TV show with Naomi.
“There have been a few fights, for sure – I’m not shy and I really like to win – but we’ve also had times when we’ve cried laughing,” she smiled. “Naomi is the tough judge, Erin O’Connor is the nurturing one and I’m the sisterly one who wants everyone to have a good time.”
Despite working for some of the biggest designers in the world, Caroline insists she rarely receives freebies. Instead, she usually satisfies her shopping urges with sprees at her favourite pharmacies.
“Not true! Although you can always get shoes [free] and Michael Kors is very generous,” she said when asked if models are swamped with free clothes. “My favourite places to shop are supermarkets and French pharmacies – I just go nuts.”
© Cover Media
