Supermodel Karlie Kloss has revealed why she walked away from fashion powerhouse Victoria's Secret, saying the brand didn't reflect her feminist message.
In an interview with British Vogue, the 26-year-old opened up about quitting her lucrative contract: "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."
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Kloss added that it "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."
Victoria's Secret is a powerhouse in the lingerie world, reportedly making up an estimated 63% of the industry's sales. But in recent years, the brand's scantily clad, sexy image has faced its share of criticism and slumping sales.
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"Consumers are getting smarter...or even more ethical around who they want to support," body image expert Melissa Fabello told ABC News. "We are also getting less patient and less tolerant of campaigns that are selling something to us that we no longer believe in."
Although Kloss ended her contract with Victoria's Secret in 2015, her current comments seem to reflect a recent change of heart. She walked in their annual televised fashion show in 2017 and even championed the brand just last year, telling The Telegraph, "There's something really powerful about a woman who owns her sexuality and is in charge...I like to set a positive example, so would never be part of something I didn't believe in."