Karlie Kloss The New Victoria's Secret Angel

Karlie Kloss on the catwalk in this year’s annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show

Fashion model Karlie Kloss has been given her wings to fly, as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. The young woman taking the modeling world by storm will be replacing former Angel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on the catwalk in this year’s annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show, adding yet another big designer to her already impressive portfolio.

Once just another little girl with big dreams of being a ballet dancer, growing up in St. Louis, Montana, Karlie Kloss is now a household name with fans as powerful as legendary supermodels Tyra Banks, who says Karlie is her favorite model right now for her especially unique look, and Molly Sims who adores her classical look and anticipates Karlie will still be modeling in her 30s. In 2002, Karlie attended Caston’s Ballet Academy where her talent in dance improved tremendously, affording her a role in a performance of the Nutcracker as well as a number of other shows. It was Karlie’s appearance in a charity fashion show at the age of 13 and a high school teacher’s persistent encouragement that she consider modeling professionally that would spark her career as a model.

She wisely followed her teacher’s advice and, in 2007, Karlie Kloss signed on with Elite Model Management, a world-renowned modeling agency whose roster boasts such big names as Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, and Heidi Klum. While with Elite, Karlie got her first taste of the modeling biz, posing for Teen Vogue and Abercrombie & Fitch. In 2008, she left Elite for NEXT Model Management, one of the largest modeling agencies in the world, for a rumored $200,000. Her move to NEXT was not taken lightly by Elite. Her former agency filed suit against NEXT claiming they had stolen the talent that Elite had created by offering Karlie “improper compensation.” The suit was settled out of court and what Elite meant by “improper” compensation remains unclear.

The young fashion model’s entrance into the big leagues has of course led to a crossfire of rumors and criticism but, like a free spirit, Karlie has brushed off the negativity and gotten right back on her feet, quite literally sometimes. She has taken painful-looking falls on the runway walking for Fendi and Prada and, like a true supermodel, the skillful Karlie rose to her feet each time to finish her walk gracefully. Tyra Banks, now a huge fan and supporter of the newly-indicted VS Angel, once mocked Karlie’s runway walk early in her career. It was largely because of this publicized criticism that Karlie was asked to walk 31 runways for New York Fashion Week soon after Banks’ comments, including walking for fashion behemoths Marc Jacobs and Carolina Herrera. Designers had been awed rather than turned off by her unique walk and this has become one of her signature modeling attributes aside from her naturally angel-like hair and gracefully long legs – all qualities to be expected of a woman given the honor of donning Victoria’s Secret wings.

Karlie is also forever being paired in tabloids with Jonas brother Joe but has repeatedly denied that they are anything more than very good friends. Aside from gossip of the possible celeb romance, Karlie’s personal life tends to stay out of the Hollywood rumor mill. And while the supermodel life is certainly treating her to the wonders of glamour and fame, Karlie occasionally takes time out of her busy modeling schedule to return to her roots, visiting family and friends in her hometown of St. Louis and even pitching in at a local foodbank. It has been said that Karlie Kloss may very well be the next Kate Moss but Karlie’s look, presence, and personality place her in a realm of its own.

What’s to come following Karlie’s huge modeling milestone as a Victoria’s Secret Angel is unknown. She has said that she has dreams of becoming a doctor and a mother . . . of five boys. Whether Karlie continues to model into her 30s as Molly Sims predicts, picks parenting over modeling, or trades in the designer clothing for a doctor’s coat, the young woman has definitely made her mark on the modeling world forever.

Brittany Riccio

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