SHE’S GOT THE LOOK—Simi Valley resident Kylie Bisutti is the winner of the Victoria’s Secret Model Search. Backstage at this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York, Kylie Bisutti was a bundle of nerves.

Supermodel and show host Heidi Klum had just called Bisutti’s name as the winner of the Victoria’s Secret Model Search, and with seconds to go before stepping on the runway, the young woman from Simi Valley seemed on the verge of tears.

But once she turned the corner, any sign of fear melted away. Strutting in red strappy heels to the sounds of Leona Lewis’ song “Happy,” the 19year-old looked like a pro, on a par with the seasoned models around her.

Bisutti blew kisses to the camera and the star-studded audience, radiating confidence every step of the way.

After her turn on the catwalk, Bisutti could be heard gushing to veteran Angel—the designation given to a Victoria’s Secret model—Alessandra Ambrosio.

A WINNER—Bisutti, shown here on the Victoria's Secret Pink Carpet before entering the annual fashion show at the Lexington Armory in Manhattan, hopes to see her modeling career take off after her big win. “It was incredible, the best feeling ever,” she said. “I loved it.”

For Bisutti, the thrilling moment was one she’d dreamed of since fifth grade, when she crafted a silhouette of herself for a class project and wrote below it “future supermodel.”

“It really was a feeling of ‘this is it, I’m going to walk the runway, my dad and husband are out there and Jay-Z is in the audience . . . so I need to give it my best,’” she said in an interview with the Acorn last week.

The holiday-inspired lingerie show, which is broadcast around the world by CBS and dubbed the “sexiest night on television,” was taped Nov. 19 at the Lexington Armory in New York City.

But it wasn’t until the show aired on Dec. 1 that Bisutti learned she had in fact bested fellow finalist Jamie Lee Darley, a 23-year-old from Carmel, Calif., to become the next Victoria’s Secret runway Angel.

Bisutti watched the fashion show at a viewing party in a Manhattan lounge. When she saw her winning scene made the show, she was ecstatic.

“I had so many emotions flying through my mind it was crazy. I couldn’t even sit still in my chair. I was just jumping up and down,” she said. “I just felt so blessed, so thankful to know that America voted for me . . . and to be the next new Angel, it’s always been my dream.”

She said her parents and her husband, Mike Bisutti, have been wholly supportive of that dream.

“My mom told me my dad actually cried when he saw me on the show, and he’s only cried twice before, so that was so cool that he was so proud of me,” she said.

Though she was born in Idaho and moved to Las Vegas when she was 8 years old, Bisutti now considers herself a California girl. She moved to Simi about three years ago and married Mike, a Simi native, this past summer.

Bisutti had her first photo shoot at age 15. Though she’s traveled as far away as Japan and Thailand to pursue her career, she said it’s been difficult to break into the industry.

“I’m actually a lot curvier than a lot of other models, and I’ve had some rejection with my hips being too big,” she said. “The modeling industry wants stick thin and that’s just not me. . . . That’s why I love Victoria’s Secret, because they promote a healthy body image.”

She said her confidence kept her going in the face of criticism, as did learning to “brush it off your shoulder.” And, she said, having Victoria’s Secret behind her has given her a new sense of validation.

Bisutti may have never made it to the fashion show if it hadn’t been for her husband’s mother and sister.

While her in-laws were shopping at the Victoria’s Secret store at the Simi Valley Town Center in October, they started talking to one of the shop girls about Bisutti. The employee gave them information about Victoria’s Secret’s first-ever Model Search and the Los Angeles casting—which was happening just three days later.

“I was so nervous going in; my hands were shaking,” she said of the experience, adding that it was the largest casting event she’d ever been to.

Altogether more than 10,000 girls showed up at castings in Chicago, Miami, L.A. and New York.

Ten finalists were chosen and flown to New York City for “Angel Boot Camp,” which put the girls through a series of challenges.

In November, the nation watched the competition coverage online and voted for their favorite models, whittling the number down to two.

One of Bisutti’s favorite parts of the competition was meeting the other Angels.

“It was like I was one of the girls and they would give me advice about being out on the runway, and they really acted like I was one of them,” she said.

Now that she actually is an Angel, Bisutti has seen her life become a whirlwind of activities, including press events, movie premieres and photo shoots.

This week she had her first Victoria’s Secret photo shoot in St. Bart’s, where she posed for the annual swim catalogue. Sunday she’ll be in Chicago at a new VS store to share her holiday gift picks and meet fans.

She’s also been picked up by Manhattan modeling agency One Management, whose roster includes Claudia Schiffer, Devon Aoki, Helena Christensen and Iman.

Bisutti said she sees herself walking many more runways in the future.

“I can definitely see myself being very successful.”

For those who missed the show, check out Bisutti’s runway walk online at VSAllAccess.com.