Differences Magazine

Modeling is a particularly hard industry to work in. Aside from the hellish stories of models starving themselves for Fashion Week and constant pressure to lose weight even if you're 105 pounds, there's also the giant burden of having to compromise your beliefs in exchange for exposure. For Kylie Bisutti, she had to deal with all that weight on her shoulders.

In February 2012, 21 year-old Bisutti announced that she was departing from her lavish job as a Victoria's Secret model. Don't cry for Kylie, though; the young beauty has a lot of good gigs on her plate in the near future. We had the opportunity to chat with her about her beliefs and newfound role as an inspiration to young women across the country.

Differences Magazine: Have you always wanted to be a model?

Kylie Bisutti: Yeah! It's always been my biggest dream. My dad said I was saying I wanted to be a model since I was out of diapers. It was always what I wanted to be when I grew up.

DM: Did you do any sort of pageants or anything similar when you were growing up?

KB: No I didn't, although I started modeling when I turned 14. I traveled to Thailand and Japan and did that kind of stuff.

DM: Was that around the same time you started to embrace your faith and Christianity?

KB: I was invited to church at the age of 15. That was the first time I ever went to Church in my whole life. I ended up getting baptized [the next year].

DM: How was that experience for you?

KB: It was crazy! It was a lot different from anything I've done before since I was raised without any religion and it was never talked about in my home. It was a completely new experience, but it was definitely the best thing to ever happen to me in my life.

DM: When that happened, did your family and friends accept you really quickly?

KB: Yeah, they definitely did.

DM: When you got the opportunity to work with Victoria's Secret in 2009, what did you expect the job to be like?

KB: I expected it to be the most exciting and biggest thing to happen in my career...and it was! Working with them was so much fun.

DM: So you got to travel a lot and go to these events and runway shows. How was that for you?

KB: It was really different at first, being seen as a celebrity. Before that I was just modeling, but nothing as big as Victoria's Secret. I've never done red carpet events before that. But I enjoyed taking pictures on the carpet.

DM: A few weeks ago, you resigned from Victoria's Secret because of your Christian beliefs. When did you start thinking about leaving the company?

KB: It was more of [a decision to] not wearing lingerie or not modeling for men's magazines like Maxim or HSM. It was basically a long process of Jesus working in my heart. He just changed my desires. I wasn't meant to be seen by other men in lingerie anymore. Only my husband [should see me] in that way, and [I want to] honor and respect him.

DM: How did your husband react to the news?

KB: It was the answer to a prayer for him. He's SO happy. He's definitely thankful that he's the only man from this point forward to see me in my lingerie. I know there are still images out there of me on the Internet and in magazines, but he's thankful that his eyes are going to be the only ones to see me in that way.

DM: I'm assuming that most of your fans and followers were supportive of your decision, but there's always going to be some criticism from other sources. How do you deal with negativity that you hear on the Internet and in the media?

KB: I always just go back to the Bible. There's multiple verses about being persecuted for righteous mistakes. I read those verses, as well stay away from the negative comments. The more I read them, the more they take root in my mind. I don't like to dwell on that kind of stuff, so I just try to stay away from it.

DM: What are your current and future plans in the industry?

KB: I'm going to continue to model, but I'm only going to be doing more modest jobs that don't sell sex. I'm also working on starting my own clothing line, writing a book, and doing a lot of conferences & speaking engagements for youth.

DM: How does it feel to be a role model for girls and young women?

KB: It's really awesome! It's definitely the best way to live your life, helping others and caring more for others than you care about yourself. There's so much more fulfillment in that than there is in being selfish and only focusing on what benefits you. It's so awesome to have young girls come to me and wanting advice from me.

DM: What's the best piece of advice you've given to someone in your career so far?

KB: Loving God and loving others is the ultimate happiness that I found in my life. When I'm not focused on self-pleasure, that's when I'm feeling my happiest. When I'm focused on helping other people and making a difference in other people's lives and finding my inner beauty, it helps me a lot. What I'm trying to get across to young girls is that they should care more about their inner beauty than outer beauty.

DM: You stayed very true to yourself throughout your entire career, but sometimes it's really hard to do that. What tips can you give others on how to be the best version of themselves at all times?

KB: Personally, I just read the Bible and pray. That's how I've been able to do better. Also, having the right support structure and being around other like-minded people helps. I've read quite a few motivational books that have helped me along the way. Also, focusing less on being more beautiful and diverting your attention to doing something good for someone else [will help you] find more wealth and value by doing that.