Kate Upton, the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl, has killer curves and legs that go on for miles, but she'll never walk the runway for Victoria's Secret's iconic annual fashion show. At least that's what one casting agent for the global lingerie brand contends.
Kate's Look Is Trashy-Sexy, Not Sophisticated
“We would never use” Upton for a Victoria’s Secret show, VS casting agent Sophia Neophitou tells the New York Times. “She’s like a footballer’s wife, with the too-blonde hair and that kind of face that anyone with enough money can go out and buy....She’s like a Page 3 girl...too obvious."
While the curvy 5'10" Kate has modeled for Victoria's Secret catalogues, critics like Neophitou say she's not sophisticated enough for runway shows.
Indeed, the top models for Victoria's Secret's annual fashion shows, such as Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel are thinner, more toned and angular than the fuller-figured Upton.
Ironically, Victoria's Secret models have received similar criticism from high-fashion experts, for whom the ideal runway model is extremely tall and rail-thin with small breasts and narrow hips.
Kate to Critics: Up Yours!
But Kate, who became an overnight modeling sensation by marketing herself on YouTube, is hoping to usher in the return of the glamazon Supermodel (a huge phenomenon during the 1980s and early '90s).
“For a long time, fashion has been going to celebrities,” Upton, 19, tells the New York Times. “Celebrities are on the magazine covers, and nobody wanted models. But why not have a model celebrity? Why not a girl who comes with her own following? Social media brings a personality to models. That’s how consumers today decide what to buy.”
Besides, Kate loves that her popularity is based on her aesthetic attainability (although, let's be honest, very few women can look that sexy).
“People told me I couldn’t be fashion, that I’m just an old-fashioned body girl, only good for swimwear, but I knew that I could bring back the supermodel," she says.
"What can I say? I’m relatable.”
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