Kaia Gerber Follows in Supermodel Mother Cindy Crawford's Footsteps
Crawford has been frequently seen in public with her daughter lately, looking like sisters with her.
In 2000, one of the world«s most beautiful women, Cindy Crawford, announced she was leaving the modeling business. No more shows, commercials, or magazine covers; she was starting a new life as a loving mother, wife, and homemaker. But the fashion world did not want to let her go so easily. Eleven years later, the Crawford name was back in the press when her miniature copy — daughter Kaia Gerber — appeared on the scene.
«I don»t want her to feel competition with me«
Kaia is not being disingenuous; her childhood was nothing like her peers«. She never forgot that her mom was Cindy Crawford. Here and there, little Kaia would come across photos of her mother, and not always fully clothed.
Cindy herself never ignored or disowned her past. On the contrary, she tried to instill in her children that everything they saw was normal and nothing to be ashamed of. At one point, the supermodel even hung some of her best works in her home.
«For me, it was art,» Kaia explained. «It wasn»t vulgar, it wasn«t objectification.»
Crawford had many admirers, and some of them obsessively stalked her. So little Kaia quickly got used to crowds of people around her, and not all of them were taking pictures and trying to talk to her with good intentions. Once, one of the stalkers attacked Kaia and Cindy. The man was detained, but the girl remembered the incident for the rest of her life.
Crawford was always against her children following in her footsteps and building their lives using her past fame. So from childhood, Kaia«s first priority was her studies, because what kind of college admission can you talk about without good grades. Besides school, the girl was involved in dance and sports, but her particular love was books. She would read the entire school curriculum over the holidays and tackle novels assigned to her older brother.
In adulthood, this passion for literature evolved into her own book club, Library Science, which anyone from around the globe can join. Together with subscribers, Kaia selects contemporary and lesser-known novels, often by young authors, and then holds open discussions with actors, critics, and writers.
However, literature, psychology, law, and everything that ever fascinated Kaia became merely a side interest for her. Her career, however much her mother opposed it, Gerber is building in the modeling business. It all started when the girl was 10. Photographers and designers familiar with Cindy began to notice that her daughter was a copy of her mom. The same luxurious hair, similar facial features, and even the mole above the upper lip.
The first to seize on the idea of introducing the girl to the world of fashion was Donatella Versace. She proposed making Kaia the face of the children«s clothing line. Crawford was hesitant at first, but upon learning that Kaia herself wanted to do the shoot, she gave her consent.
«After it was all over, all I could think about was how it went,» Kaia recalled of her first modeling experience.
The shoot went smoothly. It turned out the camera loved the girl, and Cindy«s fans easily accepted her daughter and called her »a representative of the new generation of supermodels.« This group later also included Lily-Rose Depp, Deva Cassel, and Lila Moss. Crawford no longer objected and allowed her daughter to continue working as a model if she wanted.
«I don»t want her to feel competition with me, although I sometimes tease her: «You have my young hair! Give it back to me,»« Crawford joked.
«She doesn»t give advice unless you ask«
Following Versace, Chanel, Prada, and many other luxury brands wanted to work with Kaia. That same year, 2011, Gerber shot her first cover — and right away for Vogue, though it was the children«s edition.
By age 14, her schedule was packed with shows and shoots, so her parents had to switch her to homeschooling. At the same time, Cindy, knowing from her own experience that beauty and popularity are not eternal, continued to insist that studies come first. Kaia did not argue, as she did not take her modeling career seriously and planned to become a lawyer after school.
The realization that she was in the modeling career for the long haul came to Gerber after 2016, when she was invited to collaborate by designer and former head of the Louis Vuitton fashion house, Marc Jacobs.
«I was so excited when I found out I would be the face of Marc Jacobs. They called me right after I got back from school. I couldn»t believe it was true until the shoot started. It«s definitely one of the best memories!» Kaia said in one interview.
Jacobs was delighted with the rising star. That same year, Kaia was named Model of the Year and became a regular at fashion weeks in Milan and Paris. Just as numerous as advertisers, Kaia had fans and admirers. Paparazzi caught her with one suitor after another, but the girl never called any of them her beloved.
Kaia«s first official boyfriend was »Euphoria« (18+) star Jacob Elordi. Their relationship lasted a couple of years, until 2021, but even after the breakup, the couple speaks warmly of each other.
«She conducts herself so well publicly, and I learned so much from her about how to handle fame,» Jacob said, thanking Kaia.
That same year, Kaia confirmed she had a new romance — with actor Austin Butler. The young couple dated for four years but broke up in 2025. Rumors suggest Cindy herself played a not insignificant role in this. The supermodel disapproved that Austin was not ready to move in with her daughter and propose to her. Nevertheless, Kaia always emphasized that her mother never interferes in her life, whether it«s about boyfriends or her modeling work.
«She doesn»t give advice unless you ask. But if you do ask, be prepared for her to be very honest, and sometimes that«s hard to hear,» Gerber says of her mother.
Kaia is now 24. Thoughts of studies and college are somewhere in the back of her mind for now. Instead, she is developing as a model and actress, and her family fully supports her in this.
«I love watching you begin to live and create your own path! Your proud mama!» Cindy addressed her daughter on her birthday.
