She’s a model, TV star and lingerie entrepreneur. Now Heidi Klum can add clothing designer to her career achievements. And she debuted her first line on the ultimate style stage: New York Fashion Week!

Heidi Klum teamed up with German superstore Lidl on a new fashion collaboration, “Esmara by Heidi Klum: Heidi & The City,” and she showed her first 84-piece collection at a two-hour presentation Thursday. The stage was transformed into a supermarket as the models wore all the vibrant — and affordable looks — from Klum’s collection and guests took part in the interactive fashion show hosted by Louise Roe.

Why was now the moment for you to get into designing?
Actually, once I finished school I wanted to become a designer. I sent all my paper work to the design schools in Germany and the design school in Düsseldorf said yes. If I didn’t win my modeling competition I would have gone to fashion design school in Düsseldorf. So, it all has come full circle, and I ended up doing exactly what I always wanted to do. I always loved designing, and I am a very creative person but never to this extent. I have never done anything so big in my life. I am so proud that I was able to put this together with my new partner [Lidl].

What are three pieces everyone should own from the line? 
I love the leopard patterned suit. I think the leopard print is a new classic! It is bold but also really sophisticated. And the jeans – those took a ton of fine-tuning before we were satisfied, because they needed to be perfect in every size, from 4 to 12. I decided on a nice skinny fit: flares and cropped jeans are fun and all, but they might be too trendy and they don’t flatter every kind of figure. I also love the shiny black bomber jacket and the leather jacket. But truly it’s very difficult for me to choose anything.

What’s the hardest thing about designing and creating your own fashion show?
I have been in this industry for 25 years so I have had the fortune of seeing how it all works: the design process, manufacturing, retail. I understand the nuts and bolts of a collection. However, first and foremost, I am a woman, so when designing, that is what is in my head: “Would I wear this? Would my best friend wear this?” I want every woman to want to feel like I designed for her. With Lidl, it’s a great collaboration: amazing products with amazing prices.

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What inspired you when creating this collection?
My collection was inspired by NYC. I called it “urban jungle.” Because you see leopards and lions in the jungle, I thought leopard print would be a great start for my first collection. Leopard as bold and strong as it is. It’s something that will never get out of style. So I gave many of my pieces leopard print. You can wear it and go to work, looking good, chic, and expensive and you can also wear it on a date. I like that it transitions from day-to-night. Since the collection will start in September, when we will inevitably drift towards autumn and winter, I wanted to live it up. Normally, that time of year, you see more earthy tones but I wanted to shake things up a bit. Be it an animal print or introducing a beautiful sapphire blue into the mix.

What’s one piece everyone needs in their fall wardrobe?
My closet is full of jeans. And believe it or not: the jeans of my collection have become my favorites! Because they are so comfortable! I love them. My skinny jeans have an incredible feel and fit. The fact that they are around $15 is still crazy to me as I think they fit as well as some other designer jeans I’ve worn that are twenty times the price.

How do you mix high-low pieces in your own wardrobe?
I feel really lucky that I have gotten to wear some really incredible designer pieces. At a certain level, fashion is its own art. I have had the honor of wearing many of his pieces by Roberto Cavalli, Comme des garçons, Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, these dresses are sculptural masterpieces. But I also think it is important that you only wear pieces that you feel good in. And it doesn’t matter how much these pieces cost. Look at me: I love this bomber jacket I’m wearing or the sneakers I wear in Disneyland with my kids. They don’t cost a lot but the quality is great. It’s important that you can get great quality for a great price. This is also why I decided to work with Lidl.

What’s your advice to the models who walk in your show?
When I started in 1992 models had a different kind of look. It was the era of heroin chic. So I think my message for young women would be: You have to look in the mirror and be happy with who you see, and if you’re not, then you have work to change that, whether it has to do with personality, lifestyle, fashion style or career choices. Whatever your goals of personal growth may be, make time in a day to work towards achieving them. You have to work towards your happiness whatever that means to you, and that is different for everyone.

You treat hosting Project Runway as your own little fashion show — how do you plan your outfits?
In general, it depends on my mood in the morning. Sometimes I feel a bit more bohemian, sometimes flirtier, or sexy and then I will wear a miniskirt with knee boots, but if I would like to look more business-like, I usually pick a blazer with jeans. But I also like to wear boyfriend pants with a simple top. Obviously, it also depends on my daily plans.

Shop Klum’s line with be sold in Lidl stores as of September 21st – and tells us: Are you loving all the leopard?