Karlie Kloss says she was in ‘survival mode’ after giving birth as she graces WSJ. Magazine cover

Karlie Kloss delved into her difficult early days as a first-time mother in her new cover story for WSJ. Magazine.

The 29-year-old model admitted in the profile, which was published Tuesday, that she was in ‘survival mode’ after she gave birth to her son Levi, though friendships with famous moms including Ashley Graham and Emily Ratajkowski have helped her gain confidence.

The catwalk star also spoke about how she has developed ‘thick skin’ after marrying into the controversial Kushner family, and she traveled back to the 1960s and beyond with a series of stunning ensembles for the piece.

Learning to thrive: Karlie Kloss, 27, spoke about being in ‘survival mode’ after the March birth of her son Levi while showing off stunning ’60s-inspired looks in her WSJ. Magazine cover story on Tuesday

Karlie admitted that after she and her husband Joshua Kushner welcomed their son Levi in March, she was left wondering, ‘How does everyone do this?’

Since then, her panic mode has abated as her son is about to turn nine months old. 

She’s been able to turn to Ashley, Emily and fellow model Irina Shayk, all of whom who have their own young children, to help guide her through the process of raising a child while still being a busy parent.

‘The mom group friendship thing — I was always like, Yeah, that’s cute but that’s not going to be me,’ she said. ‘[Now] I don’t make a move without asking my mom friends.’

Becoming a mother also forced Karlie to reexamine her relationship with her body, which led to a more positive outlook.

‘I love my body in a way that I never have,’ she shared. ‘I never imagined that I would have a career [in which] my body would be so intertwined with my success or failure. That’s something that I really don’t like about being a model, but — it’s part of the job.’ 

Listening to experts: Karlie said she turns to her famous mom friends Ashley Graham, Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk for advice on parenting

Listening to experts: Karlie said she turns to her famous mom friends Ashley Graham, Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk for advice on parenting

First to call: 'The mom group friendship thing ¿ I was always like, Yeah, that¿s cute but that¿s not going to be me,' she said. '[Now] I don¿t make a move without asking my mom friends'

First to call: ‘The mom group friendship thing — I was always like, Yeah, that’s cute but that’s not going to be me,’ she said. ‘[Now] I don’t make a move without asking my mom friends’

New confidence: Becoming a mother also forced Karlie to reexamine her relationship with her body, which led to a more positive outlook

New confidence: Becoming a mother also forced Karlie to reexamine her relationship with her body, which led to a more positive outlook

The former Project Runway host sounded defiant when it came to contorting herself to fit into the fashion industry’s ideals.

‘I think it’s really unfortunate that there are still such narrow kinds of ideas [like] you need to be able to fit a sample size. I’m not going to change who I am to fit that,’ she said. 

Kloss also spoke about her marriage to Joshua Kushner, the brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner.

Jared served as a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump, and Karlie has been blasted by some fans for her supposed coziness with her in-laws.

The model said she had to learn to toughen up to ignore criticism for her family connections, even though she publicly supported President Biden in the 2020 election.

‘I’ve had to grow really thick skin as it relates to [being] impacted by other people’s opinions,’ she said. ‘Whether they love me or they hate me — because I’ve experienced all of it. 

Ignoring the haters: She said she had to 'grow really thick skin' to ignore criticism from people angered by her marriage to Joshua Kushner, who's the brother of Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner

Ignoring the haters: She said she had to ‘grow really thick skin’ to ignore criticism from people angered by her marriage to Joshua Kushner, who’s the brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband Jared Kushner

Back in black: Although Karlie tried on some flower power outfits and an early-60s pink suit, she also channeled earlier decades with a classic black one-piece bathing suit

Back in black: Although Karlie tried on some flower power outfits and an early-60s pink suit, she also channeled earlier decades with a classic black one-piece bathing suit

Suited up: She looked playful in a Gucci suit with a matching cape and knee-high boots

Suited up: She looked playful in a Gucci suit with a matching cape and knee-high boots

The best strategy for not feeling under assault is to simply not pay attention to the negative responses. 

‘I’ve learned to stay away from the comments section. I just try and… speak out on things that I am authentically passionate about,’ she continued, before sharing her new goals: ‘I live my life and try to show my values through my actions.’

Karlie wore a variety of eye-catching ensembles for her cover shoot, many of which were inspired by fashion of the 1960s.

She channeled the fashion from the start of the decade for her cover image, in which she wore a tan trench coat with a wide-brimmed lavender hat and a patterned magenta scarf.

The runway star showed off a flower power look in another photos with a blue ruffled top covered in red floral designs that was barely buttoned to showcase her washboard abs. She paired it with black stone wash jeans and platform heels.

Karlie rocked a denim bra with a matching skirt and an American flag leather jacket and star-studded cowboy boots in another snap.

She seemed to be inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a photo of her in a pink suit straight out of the early 1960s.

Flowing: The blond beauty stunned in another black-and-white image of herself in a white jumpsuit covered in tassels, and she augmented her long hair with beaded braids to complement it

Flowing: The blond beauty stunned in another black-and-white image of herself in a white jumpsuit covered in tassels, and she augmented her long hair with beaded braids to complement it

Stunning: Karlie was effortlessly elegant in a photo of herself in a ball gown with a large black bow over her back that was draped into a short train

Stunning: Karlie was effortlessly elegant in a photo of herself in a ball gown with a large black bow over her back that was draped into a short train

Flexible: Karlie looked as if she belonged to the world of modern dance in another photo of herself in a black leotard with a black cap over her hair and long leaf-like studded designs running down her legs

Flexible: Karlie looked as if she belonged to the world of modern dance in another photo of herself in a black leotard with a black cap over her hair and long leaf-like studded designs running down her legs

One black-and-white photo featured Karlie with her hair piled up as she showed off a sleeveless dress covered in gleaming mirrors.

Other photos seemed to be inspired by earlier eras, including one of her sporting dark locks and wearing a classic black one-piece swimsuit that highlighted her endlessly long legs.

She looked playful in a Gucci suit with a matching cape and knee-high boots.

The blond beauty stunned in another black-and-white image of herself in a white jumpsuit covered in tassels, and she augmented her long hair with beaded braids to complement it.

Karlie was effortlessly elegant in a photo of herself in a ball gown with a large black bow over her back that was draped into a short train. 

Changing it up: She sported puffy crimped hair while wearing a black-and-white striped top and a voluminous white skirt with a sparse polka dot pattern

Changing it up: She sported puffy crimped hair while wearing a black-and-white striped top and a voluminous white skirt with a sparse polka dot pattern

Dark look: The model changed out her long blond hair and looked nothing like herself in another dance-themed photo. She wore a black bobbed with a short black bodysuit and a black coat that she wept through the air

Dark look: The model changed out her long blond hair and looked nothing like herself in another dance-themed photo. She wore a black bobbed with a short black bodysuit and a black coat that she wept through the air

Karlie looked as if she belonged to the world of modern dance in another photo of herself in a black leotard with a black cap over her hair and long leaf-like studded designs running down her legs.

She sported puffy crimped hair while wearing a black-and-white striped top and a voluminous white skirt with a sparse polka dot pattern.

The model changed out her long blond hair and looked nothing like herself in another dance-themed photo.

She wore a black bobbed with a short black bodysuit and a black coat that she wept through the air. 

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