Karlie Kloss wants to be known as more than just a pretty face.
The 22-year-old Victoria’s Secret model talked about being a role model to young girls in an interview with the British newspaper The Independent, saying she “can often be seen and not heard.”
“The way I present myself can have a big impact, which is partially why I’m so passionate about health and fitness, and strength,” she said. “I take responsibility for the fact that other young women see pictures of me and it might impact how they feel about themselves, so I only want to stand for things I’m proud of.”
“People don’t expect me to be well-read or have an opinion, I almost like that,” she admitted. “I like being able to shock people.”
Kloss recently became the face of L’Oreal Paris and gives kudos to the company.
“To think that of the millions of women around the world I get to be a part of the L’OrĂ©al world is crazy. It’s such a global brand that means so many different things to different women. I think that ideas of beauty in general are so diverse. I think ultimately that [it] comes from within and feeling worth it,” she said.
The model spends a great deal of her free time advocating for charitable organizations like Feed on her social media sites.
with @laurenbushtweet at the @target + FEED dinner 2 benefit hunger relief! #FEEDUSA #SPONSORED pic.twitter.com/TrR4BpeIzI
— Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) June 20, 2013
“There’s an opportunity now to have a career for as long as you want it. And using the platform I have, the spotlight, for something meaningful motivates me,” says the model of her work with Feed, which supplies meals to those without the money to feed themselves.