Victoria's Secrethas been open about going after the teen market. 

The lingerie brand has invested heavily into its teen brand, Pink, and even geared its annual fashion show toward a younger audience. 

Victoria's Secret's new ad campaign confirms its intense focus on the tween market. 

It's called "Bright Young Things" and focuses on colorful lingerie, sweatpants, t-shirts, and backpacks. 

Here's one of the ads: 

The strategy makes sense. Teens girls have shown that they're obsessed with having cute lingerie and parents are willing to shell out. 

It's also likely that customers who start shopping the Pink line will remain loyal to the Victoria's Secret brand for much of their lives. 

While the Pink brand is technically for college girls, a Victoria's Secret executive admitted its actually designing for a younger audience in mind. 

“When somebody’s 15 or 16 years old, what do they want to be?” Chief Financial Officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said at a conference. “They want to be older, and they want to be cool like the girl in college, and that’s part of the magic of what we do at Pink.”

SEE ALSO: Meet The Victoria's Secret Angel Poised To Take Over The Brand >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Karlie Kloss has officially joined the ranks of Victoria's Secret Angels like Miranda Kerr and Adriana Lima. 

While Kloss, 20, was one of about 40 models who walked the runway in Victoria's Secret's annual fashion show, the role of Angel is only reserved for about a dozen women. 

As an Angel, Kloss will be more of a brand ambassador for Victoria's Secret and will be expected to make public appearances and appear in commercials, according to the Telegraph. 

She celebrated her new role with a live Twitter Q&A yesterday alongside seasoned Angels Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio.

In the Q&A, she revealed that she loves Jennifer Lawrence movies, watching football, and chai tea. 

She also said that when she's dating, a sense of humor is a must. She's rumored to be dating tech investor Joshua Kushner. 

Kloss is one of the hottest models to hit the scene over the past few years.

She walked in dozens of Fashion Week shows and appeared in a Mercedes ad. Her chopped haircut, now known as the Karlie, is expected to be one of the most popular styles this Spring. 

Her commitment to Victoria's Secret is interesting because of her established career as a model. The brand usually goes for more unknown models whom it can mold into Angels. 

But Kloss is one of the hottest models today, so she'll undoubtedly bring good press to Victoria's Secret. 

SEE ALSO: Meet The Victoria's Secret Angel Poised To Take Over The Brand >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

This week, Victoria's Secret debuted Karlie Kloss as a new Angel. 

That means that at age 20, Kloss has already achieved the ultimate goal in the modeling business.  

Half of Forbes' highest paid models last year were Angels for the lingerie giant. And the annual Fashion Show drew more than 10 million viewers last year.

Angels don't just make millions of dollars and gain worldwide fame. Becoming an Angel is key to launching a career in fashion, business, or television (just look at former Angel Heidi Klum).  

We decided to dig beyond the gorgeous surface and find out who these models really are. 

One model aspires to be a doctor, while another was a high school basketball star. 

Karlie Kloss is trained in classical ballet, and credits her unique runway walk to her background. Designer Carolina Herrera once told Vogue that Kloss "moves like a cat."

Source: Vogue

Adriana Lima always dreamed of being a doctor. Lima said she got into modeling by mistake and was too young to know what she really wanted.

Source: GQ

Alessandra Ambrosio had cosmetic surgery at age 11. She was self-conscious about her large ears and had surgery to pin them back. In 2006, she told Tyra Banks she had suffered from complications.

Source: AskMen.com

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Sex sells, and not just to adults.

Victoria's Secret has gotten attention recently for its increased marketing for teenagers, a younger clientele than the bare-it-all models the line is typically associated with.

But the lingerie brand isn't the only one that has stepped up its risqueé advertising aimed at teens and tweens. And it's for a good reason.

American teenagers spend an average of $4,000 a year overall, and $1,150 of that typically goes toward apparel. Some reports say teen spending could rise, as more jobs should be available for teens this summer.

Victoria's Secret

Victoria's Secret's popular PINK line is aimed at the college girl crowd, but teens several years younger can often be spotting perusing their bras and panties.

The brand featured young singers like Justin Bieber at its most recent fashion show, showing its appeal for teen and tween consumers. 

And the ads on its website clearly are intended to draw in the younger teen market.

Urban Outfitters

A good chunk of boho brand Urban Outfitters' customers are teenagers. And the brand also is ramping up its intimates line, aiming to make it worth 10 percent of total sales.

Last August, Urban launched a T-shirt line focused on drinking, drugs, and sex. In 2011, a teenage model sued the brand for using suggestive photos of her taken when she was just 15. 

Wet Seal

Wet Seal's "Going Out" line features a host of bustiers and tube tops that the company hopes scream "teen." 

The brand also signed a deal with Carly Rae Jepson last fall for a holiday ad campaign, further honing in its teen and tween consumers.

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

The news that Victoria's Secret is amping up its marketing toward tweens has been polarizing.

Some parents, like this mother who went on Good Morning America, failed to see what all the hoopla was about. 

But Evan Dolive, an ordained minister and father to a 3-year-old girl, wrote an open letter to the company about why he wouldn't want his daughter to shop there as a tween. 

His letter, which references the Bright Young Things advertising campaign, struck a chord and is going viral. 

Here's the letter, reprinted from his blog.  

"Dear Victoria’s Secret,

I am a father of a three year old girl. She loves princesses, Dora the Explorer, Doc McStuffins and drawing pictures for people. Her favorite foods are peanut butter and jelly, cheese and pistachios.

Even though she is only three, as a parent I have had those thoughts of my daughter growing up and not being the little girl she is now. It is true what they say about kids, they grow up fast. No matter how hard I try I know that she will not be the little ball of energy she is now; one day she will be a rebellious teenager that will more than likely think her dad is a total goof ball and would want to distance herself from my embarrassing presence.

I know that this is far down the line and I try to spend as much time as I can with her making memories of this special time.

But as I read an article today posted on The Black Sphere, it really got me thinking that maybe the culture that we currently find ourselves in is not helping the cause.

Recently I read an article that Victoria’s Secret is launching a line of underwear and bras aimed at middle school aged children. The line will be called “Bright Young Things” and will feature ” lace black cheeksters with the word “Wild” emblazoned on them, green and white polka-dot hipsters screen printed with “Feeling Lucky?” and a lace trim thong with the words, “Call me” on the front.”

As a dad, this makes me sick.

I believe that this sends the wrong message to not only my daughter but to all young girls.
I don’t want my daughter to ever think that her self-worth and acceptance by others is based on the choice of her undergarments. I don’t want my daughter to ever think that to be popular or even attractive she has to have emblazon words on her bottom.

I want my daughter (and every girl) to be faced with tough decisions in her formative years of adolescence. Decisions like should I be a doctor or a lawyer? Should I take calculus as a junior or a senior? Do I want to go to Texas A&M or University of Texas or some Ivy League School? Should I raise awareness for slave trafficking or lack of water in developing nations? There are many, many more questions that all young women should be asking themselves… not will a boy (or girl) like me if I wear a “call me” thong?

I want my daughter to know that she is perfect the way she is; I want my daughter to know that no matter what underwear she is wearing it does not define her.

I believe that this new line “Bright Young Things” thwarts the efforts of empowering young women in this country. “Bright Young Things” gives off the message that women are sex objects. This new line promotes it at a dangerously young age.

I implore you to reconsider your decision to start this line.

By doing so you will put young girl’s self-esteem, self-worth and pride above profits.

Sincerely,

Rev. Evan Dolive
Houston, TX"

Victoria's Secret sent us a statement denying that it was marketing to tweens and said that "Bright Young Things" referenced the college Spring Break tradition. 

"Victoria’s Secret PINK is a brand for college-aged women," the company said. "Despite rumors, we have no plans to introduce a collection for younger women." 

SEE ALSO: Why Gap's Athleta Will Overtake Lululemon >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Parents protesting the Victoria's Secret's Pink line and its marketing toward teens have taken over the internet.

While most of Pink's merchandise includes sweatpants, t-shirts, and hoodies, one item of clothing in particular has parents incensed. 

The culprit? A pair of thong panties that say "Call Me." 

This petition asking Victoria's Secret to pull its recent  "Bright Young Things" marketing campaign has more than 1,500 comments and cites the panties. A father wrote a letter to the brand about why it shouldn't be marketing to young people and also mentioned the garment.

The underwear are much more suggestive than anything else currently featured in the Pink line. The bulk of the collection is made up of sweats. Backpacks and major league baseball fan gear are also prominently featured. 

"Shame on you for your underwear line that has messages like 'call me' and 'feeling lucky,'" one mother wrote on the company's Facebook page. "This is blatant objectification of women, and sadly, younger girls will want to have these items, because they think VS stuff is cool." 

Victoria's Secret introduced its college-themed Pink line on the runways in 2006. 

Pink was so popular that Victoria's Secret began marketing to a generally younger audience. Justin Bieber performed at its annual fashion show last year, and the brand plans to open standalone stores with only Pink merchandise. 

In a statement, Victoria's Secret told us that "Bright Young Things" was marketed toward college spring breaks. The company recently started a Hawaii-themed promotion.

The petition mistakenly calls the marketing campaign a "line," but in reality, it's just a series of ads, according to the company.  In keeping with its Hawaii-themed promotion, the panties now read "Aloha." 

"Victoria’s Secret PINK is a brand for college-aged women," the company said. "Despite rumors, we have no plans to introduce a collection for younger women."

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Parents are angry that Victoria's Secret customers keep getting younger. 

While the brand insists that its Pink line markets to college students 18 and older, comments from a Limited Brands executive suggested that even younger girls were shopping there. 

After that parents protested on blogs and petitions. 

"I don’t want my daughter to ever think that to be popular or even attractive she has to have emblazon words on her bottom," wrote Evan Dolive, a father whose letter to the brand went viral.

We took a look at some of Pink's offerings to see what all the fuss was about. 

This suggestive t-shirt reads "Enjoy the view."

Another one says "Take me to paradise."

Parents aren't happy about this thong that reads "Surf's Up."

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

For weeks, parental vigilantes have been protesting a certain teen product line at Victoria's Secret. 

"Victoria's Secret has just launched a new line called 'Bright Young Things' marketed to tweens and teens," reads a Facebook page protesting the brand. "Our children are not sex objects, our children are not 'things.'" 

A Change.org petition with the same premise just reached 10,000 signatures. Thousands of angry moms signed the petition and took to the brand's Facebook page to complain. 

The problem, according to Victoria's Secret? 

The "Bright Young Things" line never existed. Instead, it was a one-time marketing campaign for Victoria's Secret's Pink line.

“There never was product that was called ‘Bright Young Things,’ no product line was called that," an unnamed spokeswoman told Women's Wear Daily. "It [the undies] was just part of a normal Pink product line. I’m not sure why people thought that it was something else," 

The brand has been open about marketing to teens in the past, though. It hired Justin Bieber to perform at its annual fashion show, and a company executive said that catering to teens was "part of the magic" of the Pink brand.

That didn't stop parents from being furious about the "line," though. 

"Thank you Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollywood, and yes you Victoria's Secret among many many others who have degraded the culture and made the idea of overt sexual behavior so commonplace that now it is among girls just barely able to babysit," one mom wrote on the brand's Facebook page. 

A dad wrote about why he'd never want his daughter to shop there. 

"The line will be called 'Bright Young Things' and will feature lace black cheeksters with the word 'Wild' emblazoned on them, green and white polka-dot hipsters screen printed with 'Feeling Lucky?' and a lace trim thong with the words, 'Call me' on the front,” wrote the father, Evan Dolive. "As a dad, this makes me sick." 

Victoria's Secret also clarified on its Facebook page that "Bright Young Things" was only a marketing slogan. 

But many parents said they didn't think the differentiation mattered. 

"To quote your itty bitty panties, 'call me,'" a mother wrote on the petition. "I'll tell you why your sexualization of young girls makes me so sad."

SEE ALSO: These Are The Victoria's Secret Items For Teens That Parents Are Furious About >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Victoria's Secret model Cameron Russell impressed the world with her insightful TED talk late last year. 

Russell, who has appeared in countless magazine spreads, credited her success to "winning the genetic lottery." 

NYMag's The Cut first brought our attention to the interview on Nightline. 

In an interview on Nightline, Russell described why she "has to feel guilty" about the privilege she enjoys as a model. 

Russell said that her guilt stems from promoting an ideal that is unattainable to most women. 

But that doesn't mean she plans to quit modeling: 

"I don't think fashion is evil...I think some people definitely got at that issue when they said, 'You still work in this industry, and you still promote a skinny white beauty ideal.' I say, 'Yeah that's true and that's unfortunate.' I hope that the benefits outweigh the costs."

Here are a couple of the photos that Russell shared in her TED talk comparing modeling to personal snapshots: 

SEE ALSO: Stunning Photos Of Martha Stewart As A Young Model >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

When Karlie Kloss walked the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last year, she wore hair extensions that lengthened her signature bob. 

But Victoria's Secretrecently showcased the highly popular haircut, now branded "The Karlie," in its most recent ad campaign, and fans weren't happy about it. 

"Short hair isn't sexy," fumed one self-described Victoria's Secret fan on the forum site Fashin. 

"I think Karlie is kind of a modest sexy but I don't think her current librarian hair is really doing her any favors," another shopper wrote on the forum. "She clearly sticks out like a sore thumb next to these more bombshell types." 

Kloss originally cut her hair for a Vogue photo shoot.

Victoria's Secret hasn't featured short-haired models in the past, and featuring Kloss's short hairstyle is a bold move. 

The retailer was so desperate to give Kloss the appearance of long hair at its fashion show that it reportedly spent $75,000 on expensive extensions. 

Victoria's Secret probably felt emboldened by the popularity of Kloss's cut, and decided to feature her shorter hair in the campaign. 

Kloss told People magazine she hopes her haircut makes other women more confident. 

"There are girls out there with every body type and there are girls out there with every hair type," Kloss said. "You can be sexy with short hair!"

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Miranda Kerr, one of Victoria's Secret's most prominent Angels, might be stripped of her title as the brand makes way for new faces. 

Kerr, the wife of actor Orlando Bloom, had a "difficult" reputation and wasn't a big seller like Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel, according to a report by Joyce Chen at UsWeekly.

Her $1 million, 3-year contract was not renewed, multiple sources told Chen.

Speculation that Kerr, 30, could be on her way out started in November, when the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show featured a segment highlighting the 25-year-old Swanepoel. 

While Kerr is still young and beautiful, 30 is retiring age for many models. 

Executives from Victoria's Secret wouldn't confirm or deny Chen's report, but one executive told Chen that Kerr would still walk in the annual Fashion Show. 

Victoria's Secret hires about 10 models to act as "Angels" that represent the brand. The spots are coveted because they offer unprecedented exposure in the industry. 

Past Angels have included Gisele Bundchen, Tyra Banks, and Heidi Klum. 

Karlie Kloss was also just added to the roster.

SEE ALSO: Meet The Victoria's Secret Angel Poised To Take Over The Brand >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Miranda Kerr's 3-year, $1M Angel contract with Victoria's Secretwon't be renewed, according to a report by Us Weekly. 

It's possible that Kerr, 30, simply became too hot for Victoria's Secret. The brand goes out of its way to hire models whom its customers can relate to, and the stunning wife of actor Orlando Bloom might not fit the bill.

In short, Kerr is so hot that female customers are threatened by her.  

Kerr's "difficult reputation" made the brand hesitant to keep her on board as one of its ten Angels, according to the report. It's also rumored that she didn't sell as much lingerie as other big names at the company.

Miranda Kerr has been modeling since she was 13, appearing in television advertisements. Her most prolific campaign before Victoria's Secret was for Maybelline Cosmetics.

In 2007, she signed a contract with Victoria's Secret to replace Gisele Bundchen as an Angel.

She also began dating her now-husband, actor Orlando Bloom. The two have a child, Flynn, together.

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

A Victoria's Secret store manager recently revealed that she gets frequent complaints that merchandise isn't small enough to fit young girls. 

"Our customers are getting younger and younger every year," the woman said in an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. "It's crazy to see 13-year-olds buying lacy underwear." 

[NOTE: While the woman's identity was verified by moderators on Reddit, Business Insider can't independently confirm her identity.]

The manager said that customers frequently complain that they can't get merchandise in even smaller sizes of the brand's Pink line for teens.

"We get complaints ALL the time that our merchandise isn't sized small enough to fit younger girls," the woman said. "We have middle schoolers and high schoolers who come in and can't find Pink yoga pants or clothing small enough."

The brand was criticized recently after an executive said that the brand was ramping up marketing efforts toward teens. The Pink line is technically for college students. 

“When somebody’s 15 or 16 years old, what do they want to be?” Chief Financial Officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said at a conference. “They want to be older, and they want to be cool like the girl in college, and that’s part of the magic of what we do at Pink.”

After Burgdoerfer's comments were reported by Bloomberg News, thousands of parents signed a petition to pull panties printed with "Call me" and "Now or never." 

The store manager said she thinks the brand needs to work harder to accommodate its youngest customers. 

"We still sell an array of thongs and 'sexy' bras in Pink," the woman wrote. "College women wear thongs, they wear lingerie...but it's taboo for teenagers to do so. Our marketing just isn't reaching the people it used to."

SEE ALSO: These Are The Victoria's Secret Items For Teens That Parents Are Furious About >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Miranda Kerr denies that Victoria's Secret failed to renew her Angel contract because she had a "difficult reputation."

''I'm sure anyone that has worked with me would agree that it's not true,'' the Australian supermodel told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Kerr, who is also married to actor Orlando Bloom, was rumored to be out at Victoria's Secret because she was difficult to work with. 

Kerr did confirm reports that she was too busy to be a full-time Angel. 

"I'm just not in a position to commit to a full contract at this time,'' Kerr said. "It's three months at a bare minimum."

Kerr will release her second book this year. She also acts as a spokesperson for Mango, KORA Organics, Qantas, Clear Hair & Scalp Therapy, Samantha Thavasa, and Reebok. 

The model does plan to walk in this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. 

SEE ALSO: Too Hot For Victoria's Secret: The Miranda Kerr Story >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

There's no better way to predict where shopping trends are heading than poking your nose around a high school lunch room.

Thankfully you don't have to. A new survey by research firm Piper Jaffrey polled more than 8,000 teenagers on everything from where they eat, to which headphones they use when they tune out Science class. 

Most noteworthy is the fact that teens still rely on their parents for more than half of their spending money. That might explain why they've started to embrace some new "grown up" shopping habits –– namely, organic eating and discount shopping.

Teens are hungry for new clothes. They spend 40% of their cash just updating their wardrobe.

They're really stocking up on athletic wear, which rose 5% in popularity since spring 2012.

More than two-thirds of teenage girls said they shop at low-budget stores and outlets, along with 55% of boys.

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

Miranda Kerr managed to come out on top after losing her post as a Victoria's Secret Angel.

Kerr was hit with a wave of negative publicity last week after reports emerged that she had lost her coveted Victoria's Secret Angel contract because of her "difficult" reputation. 

It was also reported that Kerr was "not a big seller" for Victoria's Secret compared with other Angels like Alessandra Ambrosio and Candace Swanepoel.  

But Kerr managed to spin the situation completely in her favor. 

Initial headlines about the story referred to the reports of Kerr's "difficult" reputation and supposed inability to sell underwear. 

Then, Kerr spoke out on the situation in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

She emphasized that she didn't get dumped by Victoria's Secret: she actually left in order to make time for her family and other gigs. 

"The thing is, I've been modeling since I was 13,'' Kerr told the paper. ''I'm now entering a new phase in my life. I have felt this coming since my son was born and, after I became a mother, I realized I needed to prioritize my time."

Kerr also said that she was taking time to develop "opportunities that are really reflective of my passions.''

By making the departure seem like her decision, Kerr quickly regained the approval of the fashion community. 

Soon, the tone of headlines shifted to "Miranda Kerr: 'Victoria's Secret didn't fire me - I quit'" and "Miranda Kerr sets the record straight on Victoria's Secret Exit."

It's hard to believe that anyone would voluntarily give up one of the best gigs in fashion. Even Heidi Klum, one of the most successful models of all time, stayed on until she was 37. 

It's also likely that Victoria's Secret, which prefers its Angels to have very few other obligations, found Kerr's recent ad, tabloid, and sponsorship blitz disconcerting. 

Either way, Kerr simply became too hot for Victoria's Secret. 

And with contracts at Reebok, Mango, and KORA Organics, it looks like she'll stay that way. 

SEE ALSO: TOO HOT FOR VICTORIA'S SECRET: The Miranda Kerr Story >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

So…Victoria Secret's top model Miranda Kerr got the boot. She was canned, apparently, for becoming too big of a name outside of the brand.

Her replacement, according to BI's Ashley Lutz, is a 6-foot tall classically trained ballerina named Karlie Kloss.

Kloss, writes Lutz, is "known as the 'panther' for her distinctive prowl."

This is her being panther-y…

Sheesh.

…Anywho!

Why does the tech section of Business Insider care?

Because guess who Lutz says is rumored to be Kloss's boyfriend…

…New York venture capitalist Josh Kushner!

This state of affairs is in keeping with the way the universe is ordered.

Kushner is pretty good-looking, and good-looking people often end up together.

Here is Josh:

Here are some things people in this office have told me about him:

"He's tall dark and handsome what's not to love?"

"I have a pretty big crush on him."

"He's cute in a baby-faced way."

"He's really good looking and he's athletic."

"I remember looking at him on Business Insider before I started and I was like I hope I get to meet this guy when I start working there. And then he came in two weeks later. He walked in and said, I'm Josh Kushner, I'm here to meet [redacted], and I went ooooooo."

"The best part about working in Silicon Valley is running into these cuties."

Yes, Kushner is one of the Kushners – brothers rich at birth thanks to an infamous father who made bank in New York real estate.

But everyone we know who has had done any kind of business with Josh says he's smart and that he works like a dog.

It shows up in an impressive portfolio that includes companies like name brand startups Kickstarter, Dwolla, and Warby Parker. Kushner's also invested in Instagram before Facebook bought it for $1 billion.

Here's a piece of a profile BI's Alyson Shontell wrote about him last summer:

Four years ago, Joshua Kushner attended Harvard undergrad and co-founded a gaming company, Vostu. Vostu is big in Latin America with 30 million+ users.

In 2010, Kushner launched Thrive Capital and raised a $10 million fund; he brought on big-name advisors including Twitter and Square co-founder Jack Dorsey and Joel Cutler of General Catalyst.

After investing in more than 15 startups including two with exits, GroupMe to Skype and HotPotato to Facebook, Kushner raised a $40 million fund that can scale to $100 million last August.

Since launching Thrive, Kushner has made an impressive portfolio for himself. His investments include crowdsource funding site Kickstarter, payment company Dwolla, home decor site Fab, discount glasses retailer Warby Parker, and learn-to-code company, Codecademy.

Dwolla, Warby Parker and Codecademy were some of the most desired funding rounds among investors last year. Dwolla, for example, had inbound requests from more than 700 investors. Kushner was one of a handful to work his way into the deal.

Kushner's firm, Thrive, has since raised another $150 million firm.

One more point about Josh: he's very shy. I'm sure this post mortifies him.

So…don't hate him because he's handsome…or rich…or is widely admired by colleagues…or because he's dating a Victoria Secret model…or…OK, let's just stop, this is getting sad for the rest of us.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Kylie Bisutti reveals how she had the modeling world – and perfect body, at her feet, but gave in all up in favour of her faith.

Her name might not ring a bell, but Kylie Bisutti could have become a multi-millionaire and as famous as supermodels Heidi Klum or Gisele Bundchen.

Instead, she’s chosen the quiet life with her husband in Montana over lingerie shoots, revealing her lifestyle choice in a new book which slams the modelling industry.

I’m No Angel: From Victoria’s Secret Model to Role Model, is Bisutti’s way of spreading the message that “beauty isn’t about what you look like, it’s about what’s in your heart.”

IN PICTURES: Victoria's Secret Angels through the years

Now 23, Bisutti was 19 and happily married when she won a competition to become the new Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel’. The lingerie giant has over 1,000 stores and despite never advertising, enjoys a healthy amount of public attention thanks to its annual catwalk extravaganza and product campaigns starring its hand-picked Angels, who are regularly cited as some of the most beautiful women in the world.

IN PICTURES: Victoria's Secret Models on and off duty

But Bisutti, a devout Christian, was not comfortable with her new, titillating image. “It wasn’t about modeling clothes anymore; I felt like a piece of meat,” she says in an extract from her book, which as been serialized in the New York Post.

In it she lifts the lid on the pressures to lose weight (when her castings once dried up her agent told her it was because she looked like a “fat cow”) and how she was encouraged to play down her marriage in order to behave like a flirt.

The straw which broke the camel’s back came when a photographer kept urging her to pose too provocatively. “This is what Victoria’s Secret models do,” he told her. “This is why they hired you. If you want to be like Gisele, this is what you have to do.”

READ: Karlie Kloss: the newest Victoria’s Secret Angel

She called time on her career via Twitter with the message: “I quit being a VS model to be a Proverbs 31 wife” (Proverbs says ‘Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised’).

Bisutti now channels her energy into speaking tours and her blog, imnoangel.org, which has posts from everything about why she deleted her Facebook profile to tips for getting rid of cellulite.

She also has a ‘Christian clothing line’ in the works, aimed at women of all shapes and sizes.

SEE: Victoria's Secret catwalk show 2012

I’m No Angel: From Victoria’s Secret Model to Role Model is out in the U.S from May 14.

SEE ALSO: Meet The Gorgeous Model Who Could Take Miranda Kerr's Place At Victoria's Secret

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

23-year-old model-turned-devout Christian Kylie Bisutti made waves this week when the New York Post published an excerpt from her upcoming book "I’m No Angel: From Victoria’s Secret Model to Role Model."

In the memoir, Bisutti writes “It wasn’t about modeling clothes anymore; I felt like a piece of meat" and claimed that she had to “play down my marriage … because I was supposed to be flirting with everyone all the time.”

Bisutti eventually left the profession "to honor god" by announcing her departure with this tweet: “I quit being a VS model to be a Proverbs 31 wife."

But today, Victoria's Secret is fighting back — saying "She was never a Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel.’"

The retailer goes so far as to say, "And contrary to Ms. Bisutti’s claims, she was never offered any subsequent modeling contracts or opportunities with Victoria’s Secret despite her multiple appeals for further work."

Victoria's Secret released this scathing statement clarifying Bisutti's role at their company:

“Ms. Bisutti has made numerous fabrications and misstatements of fact regarding her brief association with Victoria’s Secret. In 2009, Ms. Bisutti won an online amateur modeling competition and hasn’t worked for us since that year. The prize for the winning contestant was the unique opportunity to a one-time walk in the 2009 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Ms. Bisutti also participated in a swim photo shoot in 2009. That was the extent of Ms. Bisutti’s involvement with Victoria’s Secret. She was never a Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel’ as defined by the terms of our Angel model contract. And contrary to Ms. Bisutti’s claims, she was never offered any subsequent modeling contracts or opportunities with Victoria’s Secret despite her multiple appeals for further work. She has repeatedly fabricated her work experience with Victoria’s Secret — including a relationship that simply did not exist.”

Meanwhile, Bisutti is trying to smoothe things over with Victoria's Secret via Twitter:

I'm not slamming VS brand by the way. I still shop there all the time. My story has nothing to do with that.@britishvogue @victoriassecret

— Kylie Bisutti (@VSKylie) April 25, 2013

My story is all about honoring God with my body and being the right kind of role model to women and girls. Living for Christ vs myself...

— Kylie Bisutti (@VSKylie) April 25, 2013

SEE ALSO: The Victoria's Secret Angel Who Gave Up Her Wings For God >

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Victoria's Secret model Cara Delevingne could be in trouble after she dropped a bag of what appeared to be cocaine over the weekend. 

"The small sachet tumbled out of the 20-year-old supermodel’s handbag and on to the floor as she searched for her keys...Cara swiftly covered the packet with her foot, then her handbag before snatching it up,"reports UK tabloid The Sun. 

The Sun also has a photo of Delevingne dropping the bag. 

The 20-year-old walked in the Victoria's Secret runway show this year, modeling the PINK line for teens. She's also appeared in campaigns for H&M. 

H&M is reportedly investigating the incident, according to The Daily Mail. The brand dropped Kate Moss after she was photographed allegedly snorting cocaine in 2005. 

But Delevingne's career could suffer even more because of her influence on teenagers, reports Hayley Phelan at Fashionista. 

"Case in point: this month she covers Miss Vogue, Vogue UK’s answer to Teen Vogue," Phelan writes. "At the time of the cover release, Vogue UK EIC Alexandra Shulman described Delevingne as 'Miss Vogue made physical' with a 'maverick sense of style and fun.'"

Delevingne has yet to respond to the incident. 

SEE ALSO: Meet The Gorgeous Model Who Could Take Miranda Kerr's Place At Victoria's Secret >

Please follow Retail on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »