When the Runway
Becomes Your Own Voice
Kim Hnizdo on self-fulfillment, creative freedom, and the courage to redefine yourself.
Kim Hnizdo has been one of the most recognizable faces in the German fashion world for years. As a model, artist, and creative personality, she moves confidently between fashion, music, and public presence—always with the ambition to tell more than just a visual story. International runways, campaigns, and shows have shaped her path, yet today she uses her platform more consciously than ever: as a space for conviction, self-determination, and artistic expression.
A defining moment in this chapter was her appearance for Sportalm, where she didn’t simply walk the runway as a model, but performed to a song she had written herself—reflecting her personal experiences from over a decade in the fashion industry. In this conversation, Kim speaks about the power of finding her own voice, her pre-runway rituals, inner strength, and why true presence emerges when you allow yourself to be completely who you are.
1. Kim, you walked the runway for Sportalm to your own song—a beautiful moment. What did it feel like to be not only the model, but also the musical storyteller of that performance?
It was pure self-fulfillment and incredibly empowering—like carrying my inner world outward. I wrote the song myself, based on the experiences I’ve had as a woman over the past ten years in the fashion industry. It holds a lot of meaning and depth for me. On the runway, I wasn’t just presenting myself visually, I was telling who I am through music.
2. For many, the catwalk is a place of absolute control and precision. What happens inside you in the seconds before you step onto the runway? Do you have a ritual that brings you into your power?
Right before stepping onto the runway, there’s always a very special moment. Everything suddenly becomes very quiet, even though so much is happening around you. I take a deep breath and reconnect with my body and my strength. My only ritual is a quick energy check—a moment of total honesty with myself, reminding myself that I love what I do, that the world should see that, and then I go.
3. Beyond the catwalk: What values or experiences have shaped you into the woman you are today—and how do they influence your work in fashion, music, and the public eye?
I’m shaped by groundedness, professionalism, openness, curiosity, and the courage to start over again and again. I’ve explored different chapters of my personality—lived them, discovered them anew, enjoyed them, or fought my way through them. Some stayed, some didn’t. Everything I’ve experienced—every job, every country, every person, every encounter—together with the steady core of who I am has made me the person I am today and will continue to become. These values keep me true to myself in this industry and influence my creative work 100%.
4. When you look at your current chapter: What do you want to convey with your art, your energy, and your presence—to yourself, your community, and the industry?
I want to convey self-fulfillment—the courage to redefine yourself again and again, to cross boundaries and follow your own voice, creating a lasting presence through that. There is nothing more fulfilling than creating something that truly comes from within. If I live that, I can encourage others to walk their own path in the same way.
