Karlie Kloss lost work when she developed a "womanly" figure.
Karlie Kloss
The 26-year-old model began working when she was just 15, but after a few years of success, her world was "turned upside down" when her body changed and she went from a size 0 to a 4/6.
She said: "I started taking birth control, and my body became more womanly -- hips and thighs appeared.
"I started losing jobs; I wasn't getting booked for the runway; designers stopped working with me. It felt as if my world had been turned upside down."
And during the difficult period for her career, Karlie developed her interest in computer science, and admitted that came more naturally to her than the world of fashion.
She told America's Vogue magazine: "I always identified myself as a girl who was good at math and science...
"I always thought, Well, I'm not artistic; that doesn't come easily to me. And it's funny that I had to learn the language of fashion because of my job, but it was hard for me."
Karlie enrolled in New York University and took a coding course at the Flatiron School, where she discovered her passion.
She said: "I had a major aha moment when I realized how creative code was."
The model has a high profile on Instagram and enjoys using her social media platform to make a "positive impact".
She said: "Before the dawning of social media, I think the role of the model was more to be seen. I've always wanted to use my voice for positive impact. Now I can speak in real time."
And she's particularly proud of her Kode with Klossy programme, which teaches coding skills to young women.
She said: "There is something really powerful about being in a classroom of girls, of having a network of female connectivity. Being able to open the door for them, that really fills my cup."
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