By Harper’s Bazaar Singapore Team - published
Karlie Kloss has it all. At just 23 years old, she is one of the most sought after faces in the fashion industry, she heads up her own scholarship program for young women called "Koding With Karlie" and she's even secured a spot in Taylor Swift's enviable "Bad Blood" squad.
So her self-esteem must be soaring, right? Well, not exactly. The supermodel admits confidence hasn't always been her forte.
"As a kid, I was really tall and skinny and awkward and gangly—and I wasn't confident," she reveals in a new video on her YouTube channel Klossy. "I've always been very open with my friends and family, but when it came to getting in front of a crowd, I always used to be very self-conscious and shy. I would go into a shell and just be very quiet."
Below, photographic evidence of those "awkward" times—which we can all relate to:
Photo: YouTube
karlie kloss, klossy
Since then, Kloss has conquered her fears and transformed herself from a timid teen to a fashion week favourite. For that, she credits her background in ballet.
"One of the first ballet recitals that I danced in pointe shoes, I was so nervous. I didn't want to let [my family] down. I didn't want to let myself down!" she says. "I learned to cope [by taking] that anxiety—that adrenaline—and [pouring] it into something productive. What can you do to best prepare for that moment? So when it came to showtime…I knew that I did everything I possibly could to feel amazing and just perform."
Still, she knows mistakes (as she mentions, that time she tripped on the Fendi runway in 2010) are bound to happen. The only difference now? They don't bother her.
"All you can do is do your best," she adds. "Even when you make mistakes, sometimes those can be the most important experiences to learn from."
Well said.