Posted on 02/19/2012 1:55:54 PM PST by Mark
Simi model shedding the skin
Faith leads Bisutti on more conservative path
By Carissa Marsh
COVERING UP—Simi Valley model Kylie Bisutti has made the decision to no longer pose in lingerie, citing her faith as the driving force behind her decision. Kylie Bisutti has shed her Victoria’s Secret angel wings in favor of more coverage, vowing to God and the world that she will not model lingerie again.
“This is about me just reading the Bible more, me growing in my relationship with God and him opening my eyes up to the ways I was living and I wasn’t really honoring him with my life,” the 21-year-old Simi Valley resident said. “But making this decision, I’m honoring him as well as my husband.”
The last person one might imagine evangelizing the Gospel would be a Victoria’s Secret model. But after posing scantily clad for the popular catalogue, other lingerie brands and even men’s magazines, Bisutti had a change of heart about the industry she once so desperately wanted to be part of. Besting more than 10,000 other aspirants, Bisutti won the Victoria’s Secret Model Search in December 2009. She took her victory walk down the runway of the worldbroadcast Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York wearing little more than a black bejeweled bra-and-panty set.
Shortly after her win, Bisutti jetted off to St. Bart’s in the Caribbean to do a shoot for the annual swimsuit catalogue and then attended a signing at a new VS store in Chicago.
Winning the contest was her first big break in modeling and the realization of a childhood dream—but something began to feel not quite right.
“ I pretty quickly decided within that year that I wasn’t going to model lingerie,” said Bisutti, who was able to end the relationship with Victoria’s Secret easily since she didn’t have a contractual obligation with the company.
Despite some news reports, Bisutti clarified that she didn’t quit VS.
“It’s more of a decision to stop modeling lingerie and stop being a sex symbol in general. Because I’ve also modeled for Frederick’s of Hollywood and been on the cover of men’s magazines,” she said. “I’m not trying to bash Victoria’s Secret in any way.”
The Idaho-born Bisutti didn’t grow up in a religious family and never went to church until she was in high school in Las Vegas. At 16, she became a believer and got baptized.
Because of her Christian faith, Bisutti said, she had an inner battle over modeling skimpy outfits in seductive poses—particularly for publications like Maxim and FHM. “I definitely was (uncomfortable), especially with the men’s magazines because it’s directed for men . . . and I really should only be seen that way for my husband, not every other man in this world,” she said.
Just a few months before winning the model search, she married Simi native Mike Bisutti. When asked if he was uncomfortable seeing his new wife in lingerie ads and wanted her to quit, she said no.
“He was really supportive with everything that I did from the beginning and he knew that modeling for Victoria’s Secret was my biggest dream,” Bisutti said. “He let me grow and mature and he basically prayed for me through it all but he let me make this decision on my own.”
While some might question why Bisutti auditioned for the model search in the first place, she said she’s learned a lot in the past two years.
“Going into the competition I was praying through the whole thing that I didn’t want to win if it wasn’t what God wanted for me. Looking back on it now, this is what he wanted,” she said.
“He gave me this platform and helped me realize modeling lingerie and being a famous supermodel for Victoria’s Secret wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be once I got it, and living a life for him is much more fulfilling.”
Moving forward, Bisutti said she will no longer take part in the “sex sells” media culture.
“I definitely only want to model and pose in things that aren’t going to be portrayed as selling sex,” she said. “I don’t want to be put in that category anymore.” She would, however, model in a swimsuit—depending on the context.
“I’ll pose in bikinis as long as it’s not selling sex. If it’s more about athleticism and not the sexuality of it,” she said.
Bisutti is surprised by the national attention her decision has received—she was interviewed on “Good Morning America” and her story was featured on “Nightline”—saying she’s gotten more press now than when she won the contest.
“I thought by making this statement my career would be over and I was fine with that . . . and now He’s blessing me so much more than I ever could have imagined.”
Her hope is to serve as a positive role model for girls. Bisutti already has several speaking engagements lined up, and her new website features a “Prayer Request” tab. “ I’ve had a lot of emails come in, mainly from young teenage girls that are . . . struggling with their self-image,” said Bisutti, who was teased in school for being tall.
“I can definitely relate . . . not only with (teasing) but just wanting attention from other people, the wrong kind of attention. . . . . So it’s really cool to talk to them about it and give them advice on how they can overcome it.”
Her main message is that inner beauty is most important. “You’ll definitely be happier if that’s what you focus on, the qualities of your heart.”
Øbama doesn’t have a Christian faith.
But Steffi made sure he meant his Christian faith when asked about it and Gibbs sure was on offens today telling that Santorum was over the top attacking Obama’s faith.
He has to have, America would never elect anyone without it.....oh wait!
Amen to that. I drive by a neighborhood high school every day & pray for those kids - we’re pretty spare on healthy role models in the pop-culture realm.
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