At just 20 years old, gorgeous model Kate Upton has landed the coveted cover of Vogue Italia.
Don’t get it wrong, though: Upton isn’t just a pretty face. She has a story to tell and strives to be a positive, healthy influence on other women. “I don’t want to starve myself,” she says. “I still want to hang out with my family and be a normal girl. You have to be confident, and that doesn’t mean starving yourself.”
She continued by saying, “I think it’s important to look at magazines and think a healthy lifestyle is attainable. Now that the fashion industry likes the idea of me, I’m happy if I can have an influence.”
Her confidence seems more matter-of-fact than soapbox. “You go shopping and you’re not the same size in every brand — some look good on you and others don’t. When I lived in Florida, the swimsuit was the key wardrobe piece, I lived 10 minutes from the beach, but I never sat there and said, ‘I want to be every man’s fantasy.’ It wasn’t a big deal to be in a bathing suit. Now, whenever girls come up to me saying they’re happy to see I am confident about my body, it makes me feel good that I am contributing in a way among people my age, people who could be my friends.”
Check out the November 2012 issue of Vogue Italia for more.
