As the recent winner of  “Project Runway” Season 7 Kristina Sajko has walked in many runway shows but one of her proudest moments was being able to walk during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York. Continue reading to learn more about Kristina and how she got her start as a model.

When did you know you wanted to become a model?

I never had a dream of becoming a model. Growing up, my family didn’t have money especially after the war, the situation in Croatia was very bad. My parents couldn’t find a job and it was getting worse and worse. When I was 15, my uncle and I went to visit his best friend named Hamed. He is the owner of the biggest modeling agency in Croatia called “Midikenn”.  At the time he wanted me to model, but I wasn’t interested. I thought I was too young to get separated from my family and to travel the world and work. I wanted to finish my schooling and hang out with my friends so I said “No!”  After I finished school I tried to find the best way to help my family. One day  I was standing at the tram station with a friend.  I was talking about how I should maybe go back to Hamed and his agency and ask him if he was still interested in representing me. I also never left Croatia so I wanted to travel the world really badly. As I was talking to my friend, I saw someone in a car at the red light waving at me – it was Hamed. Unbelievable! He asked me to call him, which I did the very next day. First thing he told me when he answered the phone was: “Are you finally ready to work as a model?”

What is your most memorable moment as a professional model?

OMG there are so many! I think one of the most memorable moments was when Hamed called me one day and told me: “Congratulations, you are in the Top 50 most soted models in the world”. I was so happy, it meant a lot to me!

What do admire most about Josipa Lisac?

I can’t believe you’re asking me this question, I LOVE her style. Watching her on TV and in the magazines as a kid I was always impressed with her style, her ability to wear whatever she wanted and always look amazing. One thing I learned from her, is to always feel comfortable in everything you wear.

What do you love most about Croatia?

Everything! When you say Croatia, first thing I think of is my family! I miss them and love them so much! Then I think of my friends I grew up with. I think of the beautiful beaches on the Adriatic sea and amazing food…Croatia is so beautiful!

What new and exciting projects do you have coming up?

I’ve been going to many castings and I have a lot of options for very cool and exciting jobs. Right now I’m waiting for confirmations so I don’t know for sure. But I have to say that I’ve been working so much since the “Project Runway” and “Models of the Runway” aired. I’ve been booking job after job. Most of the clients watch the show and they recognize me at the castings so they book me for all the jobs. There are few big jobs I’m booked for but I’m not allowed to talk about them. You’ll see when the time comes!

Get to Know Kristina!

Kristina’s Video Blog: Model Kristina gives her take on the Season Finale of “Project Runway”

“Models of the Runway”: Kristina shares her excitment about wearing the winning look in episode 5.

Kristina at Home: Take a look at Kristina’s home visit!

Being the offspring of fashionista, Nadia Murdock has always had a passion for fashion.  She decided to put her passion to work two years ago and launched Manchester Public Relations www.manchesterpublicrelations.com. Nadia is the Public Relations Director for Chic Galleria magazine and works in New York City.

Tags: Kristina Sajko, Lifetime, Models of the Runway, Project Runway