From Victoria's Secret Model to Role Model Part I - Kylie Bisutti

At 8-years-old, Kylie Bisutti never dreamed she’d one day walk the runway as the winner of the most coveted competition in modeling—the Victoria’s Secret Angel contest. And she certainly never dreamed, less than a year later, that she’d walk away from it all to pursue an even greater prize.

A tomboy who preferred denim to designer, Kylie was never a “girly girl.” Although she wasn’t particularly tall, Kylie had, in her words, “freakishly long legs” compared to the rest of her body. And she was rail thin. By eighth grade, she towered over most of her classmates who made fun of her size and called her giraffe. 

But adults saw her potential: “Look at those long legs of yours. You could be a supermodel someday!”

In her book, I’m No Angel, Kylie reflects on the power of words: “Adults don’t always realize the profound effect their words can have on young kids—girls in particular. These people mean well, of course. What harm could possibly come from telling a little girl she’s pretty? Technically, none—unless that’s the only affirmation she ever hears . . . the only reason she gets attention.”

Although her family knew nothing about modeling, they were supportive of Kylie's interest. When they moved to Las Vegas, Kylie got her first break—a contract with the Envy Agency, one of the biggest in the city. 

“I thought if I could make it big as a model,” Kylie says, “I could prove something to all those people who had teased me at school.”

Kylie at 13-years-old

Although Kylie worked primarily as a runway model, she also did photo shoots to expand and enhance her portfolio, making her more hireable. But during her first photo shoot, the photographer pushed her for more and more provocative poses. “I didn’t understand it at the time,” Kylie says, “but ultimately the modeling industry’s job is to sell sex. Even ads aimed at women featuring women tend to have a sexy edge to them, especially when it comes to fashion.”

Kylie didn’t feel guilty about striking those provocative poses; she just saw it as part of the job. “After all the teasing I’d endured at school, it felt good to have someone complimenting me on my looks,” she says. “The more positive feedback I got, the more willing I was to push the envelope.”

When she became a freshman, and her 5’9” body began developing hips and a bust line, the boys no longer called her giraffe. The modeling agencies also began viewing her differently. In the modeling world, Kylie explains, “anything over 30 inches (hip size) is considered curvy, and curvy doesn’t play well on the runway—especially in high fashion, where being rail thin is considered the ideal.”

She heard horror stories of models having their hipbones shaved or lower ribs removed, and most of the models crash dieted, did cleansing programs, and purged. Kylie began to feel the pressure. . . 
(To read Part II of Kylie's story, CLICK HERE)

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Thanks to Janine at True Aim Education and Amy at Raising Arrows for featuring this post on their weekly link ups.
 

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