Karlie Kloss: The squad has given me confidence

Karlie Kloss says the ‘girl squad’ has helped her regain her confidence.

The 23-year-old former Victoria’s Secret model is a member of Taylor Swift’s group of famous friends, made up of the likes of Cara Delevingne, Ruby Rose and Gigi Hadid, and she finds their support invaluable after being bullied over her distinctive appearance when she was younger.

Speaking to the new issue if Grazia magazine, she said: "I grew up being the tallest in my class and was always teased for being skinny. Whether it was because of those people at school or people online now, I had to develop a thick skin.

"You have to learn to cope with people’s opinions – it is so important for women to be surrounded by people who truly support them. You have to have a core support group."

Despite accusations the group is elitist, Karlie insists her friends are all very "kind and caring" and she loves the fact they will always try and make time for one another, no matter how busy their schedules are.

She shared: "My friends are kind, caring, thoughtful people. I think that’s what draws everyone in the group together. We are all very supportive of each other. We’re a big network of really great friends who all have very international schedules and lives. We try to get together as much as possible, even if we’re all travelling in different places."

The New York University student has set up scholarships and a summer school to help women learn how to computer code and she hopes she can use her profile to inspire and influence other young females to get educated in tech.

She said "I recognize that I am in a position to influence other people and I do not take that lightly.

"I want to use my influence to inspire people to push themselves.

"In two weeks we’re completely changing these young ladies’ knowledge of this technology. A lot of them leave transformed. That, to me, is success."