Karlie Kloss quit Victoria's Secret because it didn't reflect her feminist beliefs.
Karlie Kloss
The 26-year-old model walked away from the lingerie brand in 2015 and though she didn't explain her decision at the time, she's now revealed it came after she started studying feminist theory at New York University's Gallatin School and it made her question the message she wanted to put out to young women.
She explained: "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.
"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."
The 'Project Runway' host used to worry about saying no to things in case it affected her work but she's now discovered that the more she speaks out, the more "power" she has.
She told America's Vogue magazine: "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.
"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 6ft 2in of me - and know the power of my voice."
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