Karlie Kloss has admitted she decided to quit her job as a Victoria’s Secret Angel because she thought the brand’s message wasn’t one to spread for ‘young women around the world’.
The 26-year-old model joined Victoria’s Secret as an Angel in 2013 after first starting with the company in 2011, and she kept her Angel-status until 2015 by walking in multiple runway shows and modeling for ads.
But Karlie then took a two-year hiatus from the brand to study feminist theory at New York University’s Gallatin School. This inspired the model to do some soul-searching regarding her job and ultimately quit her ties with the lingerie brand.
Moving on: Karlie, 26, became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2013 after first working with the lingerie brand starting in 2011
Confession: She walked in runway shows before taking a hiatus to attend college. Karlie admitted to hiatus convinced her to leave Victoria’s Secret for good
‘The reason I decided to stop working with Victoria’s Secret was I didn’t feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am and the kind of message I want to send to young women around the world about what it means to be beautiful,’ Karlie told British Vogue.
Karlie ended up returning to the runway one more time in 2017 for the brand before officially quitting her reign as an Angel — a difficult decision given it was one of the model’s most lucrative jobs.
But Karlie explained to the publication how the decision was actually a ‘pivotal moment’ for her in deciding what she wanted to represent professionally.
‘I think that was a pivotal moment in me stepping into my power as a feminist, being able to make my own choices and my own narrative, whether through the companies I choose to work with, or through the image I put out to the world,’ she said.
This comes after Karlie defended the brand one year ago at the height of the #MeToo movement. At the time, she claimed the brand and its runway shows stood for something powerful regarding female sexuality.
‘A show like Victoria’s Secret is so relevant in the world we live in today,’ she told the Telegraph. ‘There’s something really powerful about a woman who owns her sexuality and is in charge.’
She also expressed how the brand and walking in the show helped make her feel empowered.
‘A show like this celebrates that and allows all of us to be the best versions of ourselves,’ she said.
It appears her sentiments towards the brand quickly shifted, as she later announced to leaving the brand.
Wrong message? ‘The reason I decided to stop working with Victoria’s Secret was I didn’t feel it was an image that was truly reflective of who I am and the kind of message I want to send,’ Karlie said. Pictured walking for the brand in 2014
Over it: Karlie decided to leave one of her more lucrative jobs so she could send a better message to ‘young women around the world’
Victoria’s Secret has faced backlash in the last year for previous statements regarding inclusivity.
In November, ahead of the 2019 Victoria’s Secret Runway Show, the brand’s chief of marketing, Ed Razek, answered questions with Vogue about if the company would consider hiring plus-size and transgender models.
‘Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy,’ Ed told the publication at the time.
He also stated the brand previously attempted a separate special showing plus-size women on the runway but ‘no one had any interest in it, still don’t.’
Backlash followed the statements with Ed later having to refine his comment to state the brand would consider hiring transgender models.
The modeling industry, and clothing brands, have changed in recent years to accommodate people looking for more inclusive sizing, use of plus-size models and refraining from airbrushing ads.
Brands including Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and Aerie, to name a few, made it a priority to follow consumer wants within their advertising campaigns and runway shows.
But Victoria’s Secret has focused on continually promoting a ‘fantasy’ of women, which Karlie said was no longer her priority.
She went on to explain to British Vogue the lessons she learned in her teens and 20s that she hoped to pass on to younger women.
‘Looking back at my late teens and early twenties, I think I was fearful that I would lose a job or lose my position if I said I didn’t want to do something,’ Karlie said. ‘But I did not lose out on jobs. If anything, the more I exercised the power of my voice, the more I earned respect from my peers. And I earned more respect for myself. Only now do I have the confidence to stand tall – all 6’2” of me – and know the power of my voice.’
Not only has she focused on different modeling opportunities, but Karlie also used her passion for coding to create Kode with Klossy. The organization works to increase passion for STEAM careers, specifically among women.
Love: She wed Joshua Kushner, a 34-year-old venture capitalist, in an intimate ceremony in upstate New York in October and confessed her personal life was a priority
Struggle: The couple later celebrated a second wedding in Wyoming last week. Karlie also revealed recently that she converted to Judaism for her husband
Though the model remains passionate about a number of different career fields, she confessed to wanting to make sure her personal life was always prioritized.
‘I am deeply ambitious and driven, and there are a lot of big things I want to do – big things,’ Karlie said. ‘But I also want to enjoy the people I love and who love me. It’s important that I have joy in my life.’
She wed Joshua Kushner, a 34-year-old venture capitalist, in an intimate ceremony in upstate New York in October before throwing a second ranch-themed wedding last week.
Joshua, a devout Jew, inspired Karlie to convert to Judaism.
‘Changing part of who you are for someone else can be seen as weak,’ she said about converting. ‘But you know what? Actually, if you’ve been through what I’ve experienced, it requires you to be anything but weak. It requires me to be stronger and self-loving and resilient. I really did not take this lightly.’
Karlie went on to reiterate that her decision to join the faith was not just because of her love for Joshua.
‘It wasn’t enough to just love Josh and make this decision for him,’ she said. ‘This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman. It was only after many years of studying and talking with my family and friends and soul searching that I made the decision to fully embrace Judaism in my life and start planning for a future with the man I chose to marry.’
Shabbat, a day of rest to disconnect from the world from Friday at sunset to Saturday night, has brought ‘a new meaning’ to Karlie’s life, she said when detailing her enjoyment of the specific Jewish tradition.
Marrying Joshua has had its difficulties, though, as his brother, Jared Kushner, is notably a senior advisor to President Donald Trump and married to Ivanka Trump. Both Joshua and Karlie consider themselves Democrats.
Despite the political differences within the family, which Karlie described as ‘hard’, she said a priority for both her and her husband was to focus on the values they felt were important.
‘I choose to focus on the values that I share with my husband, and those are the same liberal values that I was raised with and that have guided me throughout my life,’ she said.