Kurková was born in Decín, Czech Republic to a Czech father & Slovak mother. She had an early insight into what celebrity life would be like, since her father, Josef Kurka, was a star basketball player. As a child, her height made her relatively awkward & gangly, but that would all change with age. A close friend recognized her beauty & sent photos of Kurková to an agency in Prague. Kurková immediately landed a runway appearance, as well as a commercial & print ad. Still, being a model in the Czech Republic did not expose her to what fashion was really about, so Kurková took a chance & traveled to Milan to gain more experience.
There, Miuccia Prada, the designer behind the famous brand, Prada, signed her to a contract that proved to be the beginning of a stellar career. In September 1999, Kurková's dedication & hard work lead to a meeting with the Vogue editors in New York City. She impressed them immediately, & the executives began to slowly groom her for success. A permanent move to New York & an even more hectic work schedule ensued. It all paid off when, at seventeen years old, Kurková landed a spot as the cover girl of the February 2001 issue of Vogue. Kurková was now recognized at haute couture fashion shows, & lingerie brand Victoria's Secret chose her to be a part of that year's televised fashion show special. Prominent fashion houses such as Yves Saint-Laurent took note of her & signed Kurková to deals. Print campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, & others helped expose Kurková even more, while she headlined the second Victoria's Secret show the following year. The constant flow of work (she is said to have worked 23 weeks straight) was recognized by Vogue as they honored her with the "Model of the Year" title at the 2002 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards.
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