Karlie Kloss, why the world of technology wants women

Karlie Kloss never intended to work in fashion. “I feel like I got into it — but because I started my career at such a young age, I grew up in this industry,” says the Chicago-born model and entrepreneur, who was discovered at a local benefit show at age 14. And two years later, she made her catwalk debut at New York Fashion Week. “I saw not only the amazing artwork, but also the power of building a brand.”

She mentions female businessmen like designer Carolina Herrera – who gave Kloss the first opportunity to open a show in 2008 – influencing her professional choices, which are consistently bold and increasingly unexpected. In the year In 2015, nine years into her modeling career, she took control of her own narrative by launching Klossy, a YouTube channel she used to share behind-the-scenes clips that saw her front campaigns for brands from Lanvin to Louis Vuitton. Before such revelations, her fashion life was normal.

“At that time, it was a bit controversial when I brought my camera on stage to shoot or go to a show. You know, models are not traditionally seen and heard,” she says, “and that was one of the first times. I have to show people that I can speak properly. Kloss wanted to learn, not just talk.” That same year, she ended her two-year contract with Victoria’s Secret, blaming scheduling conflicts (she later admitted the decision was due to growing unease about the brand’s value) and attended a summer camp where she was introduced to the basics of coding.

“I was craving a challenge mentally and personally and I honestly felt a little burnt out,” she says. “Learning to code was an eye-opening experience for me, because it made me realize, wow, if I’m not learning regularly and can figure it out, other young women should have access to these opportunities and skills.” So Kode With Klossy was founded in partnership with New York’s Flatiron School and Code.org to provide free coding camps for girls interested in computer science and software engineering. What began as a 20-person scholarship has since grown into a program that serves 4,000 students each year, with a curriculum that includes classes in web development, app building, and AI and machine learning.

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“I feel very strongly that if the engineering industry is just a view of white men of a certain age — which it certainly was when I started this project — that’s too narrow,” she says. “Think of the ideas that could be developed if people from all walks of life came up with solutions to the problems they are facing.” Kloss is certainly not short of ideas of her own. Most recently, it teamed up with online gaming platform Roblox to open five digital pop-up shops stocked with select designer pieces that players can use the platform’s virtual currency to purchase for two weeks in July, channeling a limited-edition ‘drop’ into the concept. The Metaverse.

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“I wanted to bridge the gap between two of my favorite worlds—fashion and technology—because I think we’re currently exploring what we can do with this more immersive way of communicating and communicating,” she says. . “Women’s contributions are critical if we want to prevent real-world inequality in the metaverse,” Kloss added. “When you’re building an algorithm or any technology that’s reaching the masses, you need diversity of thought and life experience.”

It’s the same with the way businesses are run, which is what prompted Kloss to take a seat on the board of Serena Williams’ media company, Barnard College, a private women’s liberal-arts institution — even though she initially felt overwhelmed by her own. Her comfort zone in the boardroom. “When I first joined meetings, I was very afraid of my own voice,” she says.

“What can I contribute to all these people who are smarter and more experienced than me?” I thought. It wasn’t until I had a few meetings that I finally tried to realize that, in fact, I could represent an unrepresented point of view in this conversation. Her goal in founding Kode With Klossy is to give young women the confidence to know their own potential and stand up for what they believe in, whether they work in science, engineering or any other discipline. “I still remember the feeling when I opened my first show when I was 15 – it was so powerful and I was exposed to it in a way I had never experienced before,” she says. “I think it’s similar to the kind of self-awareness that some girls in our community go through — it’s like something is changing inside of them.”

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Kloss, who turns 30 in August, has spent more than half her life in the public eye. Although the year After getting married in 2018 (her husband is Joshua Kushner, the Democrat brother-in-law of Donald Trump) and giving birth to her son Levi last year, she remains active on social media. About herself. “I’ve learned to find balance and let parts of my life be mine,” she says. “I believe technology can be a force for good if you are intentional about how you use it.” If even half of its scholars share that conviction, we can finally focus on building the world women want.