Background
Houdová was born and raised in Plzeň, Czechoslovakian Republic.
Houdová was born and raised in Plzeň, Czechoslovakian Republic.
While besieged by modelling agencies hoping to sign her as a teenager, her father refused to let her model until she completed her university degree.
Her pronounced hoh-daw-vah:. She has been working in orphanages since the age of 15 and learned sign language in order to communicate with handicapped orphans in Plzeň. She adopted 4 young girls on a part-time basis and her family tends to them in Plzeň.
She majored in Anthropology.
After completing her studies, she moved abroad to pursue work through a Parisian agency. Houdová later relocated to New York City.
She later established a place in fashion"s elite by modeling on the New York, Milano, London and Paris runway circuit. Houdová"s popularity in the fashion industry skyrocketed when she appeared on the cover the May 2005 edition of Elle, which dedicated the entire issue to her.
Houdová has been seen on the covers of Italian, Japanese, American, French and Spanish Elle, V, Flair, i-Doctorate and Time"s Style & Design.
Houdová has been featured in ad campaigns including those for Gap, Yves Saint-Laurent, Victoria"s Secret, Emanuel Ungaro, Tommy Hilfiger, Revlon, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada and Louis Vuitton. She also appeared in a group montage on a rare (as of recent years) group montage of up and coming supermodels. In 2008, Houdová was featured on four covers including the Elle Italia and Czechoslovakian Elle Motherhood Issue and was dubbed the "Czechoslovakian Princess Diana" in recognition of her humanitarian work and her immense popularity in the Czechoslovakian Republic and Central Europe.