Karlie Kloss says she left Victoria’s Secret because of how it portrayed women

‘This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman’

Karlie Kloss has revealed she stopped modelling for Victoria’s Secret because she didn’t think its portrayal of women matched her own feminist values.

The 26-year-old model made her debut at the lingerie brand’s annual fashion show in 2011. The star later became a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2013 before hanging up the brand’s famous “wings” in 2015.

Explaining her departure from the brand, the Project Runway presenter told British Vogue: “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.”

The model, who previously studied feminist theory at New York University’s Gallatin School, added: “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.”

Despite ceasing her contractual obligations with the company as an Angel, the model did walk in the brand’s fashion show in 2017.

At the time of Kloss’ exit from Victoria’s Secret, Ed Razek, chief marketing officer of Victoria’s Secret, explained her decision was due to her busy schedule.

‘Karlie Kloss [and] I met several months ago to discuss the many things she hoped to do in her life and career,’ he wrote in an Instagram post in 2015. The post has since been removed.

‘As we talked, it became clear she would not have the time to fulfil her myriad commitments. Reluctantly, we agreed she would leave the brand at the end of her contract. Karlie is one of a kind, a very close friend, someone I truly admire and love. She is, without question, one of the best models ever. But she is an even better person. Her future is unlimited, and I am excited to see all the good she will do. Karlie Kloss will always be an Angel to me.’

During the interview, the model also opened up about converting to Judaism following her marriage to venture capitalist Josh Kushner, saying the process has made her “stronger”.

The model married the 34-year-old in upstate New York in October 2018 in a small Jewish ceremony. The wedding came just three months after they announced their engagement.

Speaking about her decision to convert to the Jewish faith for her husband, Kloss told the publication: “Changing part of who you are for someone else can be seen as weak.

“But you know what? Actually, if you’ve been through what I’ve experienced, it requires you to be anything but weak.”

The Project Runway host added that concerting to Judaism has required her to “be stronger and self-loving and resilient”.

“I really did not take this lightly,” the 26-year-old continued.

The star, who celebrated her marriage to Kushner with a celebrity-filled party in Wyoming with the likes of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry last month, said that she didn’t change her faith solely because of her love for Kushner.

“This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman,” she added.

“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.”

Since converting faith, the model – who boasts over 8.2m Instagram follower – says she has particularly learned to embrace Shabbat which is Judaism’s day of rest.

Karlie Kloss on the cover of British Vogue (Steven Meisel)

“I think we all have a tendency to just keep going,” Kloss said of the demands of daily life.

“Some people find grounding through meditation. Some find it through exercise. And to each their own, but for me, Shabbat has brought so much meaning into my life. It helps me reconnect to the actual world.”

The star also added that the increased attention surrounding her relationship with her sister-in-law Ivanka Trump – who is married to Joshua’s brother, Jared – has been “hard”.

“But 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.”

The full interview can be seen in the August issue of British Vogue, available on newsstands and digital download on Friday 5 July 2019.