The women who walk the runway for a living need to meet strict requirements in order to achieve success in the world of high fashion. Runway modeling, unlike print modeling, doesn’t allow much room for diverse body types. Not only do you need to be above 5-foot-8, but you also need a svelte physique and the ability to embody a “blank canvas.” Unlike the runway models of the '90s, who strutted the catwalk with distinctive personality, today’s models are required to walk with uniformity and glide the runway like floating hangers.
In attempts to maintain these standards, many supermodels have hid certain physical conditions from their employers. The primary among them? A pregnancy! Here are 10 models that hid their pregnancy while walking the runway.
10 Heidi Klum
Victoria’s Secret alum, Heidi Klum, revealed in May 2021 that she was pregnant with her daughter Leni in Victoria Secret’s 9th annual show in 2003. On Instagram, she posted a picture of the lingerie look she was rocking on the catwalk, writing “If I look close enough then I can see you bumping right along at 4 months.”
9 Alessandra Ambrosio
During Ambrosio’s second pregnancy, in 2011, she walked the Victoria's Secret Runway. She was four months pregnant at the time and nearly dropped out of the show due to concerns about her “showing.” She told US Weekly, “When I first found out I was pregnant I thought, ‘Oh my gosh I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk on the show."
8 Lily Aldridge
In 2011, Lisa Aldridge was pregnant at the time of a Victoria's Secret Fashion show. She and her husband Caleb Followill, a Kings of Leon band member, announced their pregnancy a month later. “We can’t wait to meet the new addition to our family,” they told People Magazine.
7 Doutzen Kroes
Another Victoria's Secret Model, Doutzen Kroes, was two months pregnant during a fashion show in 2014. Four months later, she shared on Instagram that she was “almost 6 months pregnant with a girl.” After giving birth in July, she resumed working on the runway in November.
6 Irina Shayk
In 2016, Irina Shayk, a Russian Victoria’s Secret Model, debuted her pregnancy with Bradley Cooper after a Victoria's Secret fashion show. When she walked the runway during her second trimester, her baby bump was loosely hidden by a trench coat. Sadly, Cooper and her split in 2019, yet they continue to co-parent their daughter, Lea.
"Looking back, some of her [Irina] outfits were less revealing in the stomach and seeing the news after the show, it made sense,” an insider for People Magazine shared. “No one suspected backstage, that’s for sure! She looked as beautiful as ever."
5 Gigi Hadid
It was revealed in early 2020 that Gigi Hadid was pregnant with the former One Direction member, Zayn Malik. Hadid was able to hide her pregnancy for 5 months while she continued to work numerous fashion shows. Thanks to the loose fitting garments she rocked on the runway, spectators were none the wiser.
"I found out the day before the Tom Ford show," Gigi shared in a Twitter post. "I was so nauseous backstage, but I learned I could kinda control it if I continuously ate, so my mom would pack me snacks before each show."
4 Miranda Kerr
Miranda Kerr hid her baby bump behind body jewelry for a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2010. In the same year, she walked the Balenciaga Runway show that same year when she was five months pregnant, wearing a loose fitting nightgown that mostly concealed her bump.
3 Lily Aldridge Again
In 2018, Lily Aldridge walked the Brandon Maxwell show at New York Fashion Week. After the event, she revealed her pregnancy on Instagram. “So proud to walk the @brandonmaxwell runway 5 months pregnant!” She wrote. “I've walked few runways in my life and this is a moment that I'll look back on forever with great emotion.”
2 Gemma Ward
Australian model and actress, Gemma Ward, walked in David Jones’ spring fashion show in 2016. While she announced her pregnancy on social media prior to the show, the wardrobe hid her baby bump from the crowd’s watchful eye. She shared an ultrasound video on Instagram earlier that year, writing “Yes we are expecting our 2nd."
1 Jacquetta Wheeler
English model and political activist, Jacquetta Wheeler, walked in the Temperley’s Autumn/Winter ‘15/’16 show while pregnant. She officially made an announcement after the show on Instagram, clarifying a couple of comments made about her body. She writes, "No, I'm not bloated I am PREGNANT!!"