Heidi Klum's eldest child, Leni, could be her twin in a recent Instagram post to her 1.9 million followers that saw the 20-year-old pose in a tiny white bikini, sipping from a coconut on a tropical getaway with her family.
Leni, who is following in her mother's footsteps as a model herself, wore her brown hair slicked back into a bun and opted for a no-makeup look, making her strong brows and stunning blue eyes pop even more.
In another snap shared to her story, Leni showed off her lithe figure and accessorized with oversized black sunglasses, flaunting the perfect off-duty model look.
Leni is the eldest of Heidi’s four kids, and was born on May 4, 2004. Her father is Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, but sadly Heidi and Flavio split before Leni was born. Heidi met and married singer Seal only a year later, and Leni’s step-father officially adopted her in 2009 when she was five years old.
She has three siblings: Henry, 18, Johan, 17, and Lou, 14, all of whom lead private lives out of the spotlight. Leni is not one to shy away though, and Heidi revealed to People in 2020 that she wanted to start her career as soon as possible.
"She just started where she said, 'Okay, move over. Let me take this over'," the supermodel said.
© InstagramLeni signed with IMG Models Worldwide, but her mom had reservations about her daughter following her into the industry. Heidi told People that while she loves modeling, it's very different from the typical 9-5 job.
"Obviously, as a mother, [I want my] child to do what she wants to do. The industry is great…and I've been in it for over 20 years, but it's a lot of traveling; it's different," she said.
© Getty Images"You have to be a strong person, especially as a woman; you have to be very strong."
The supermodel and host of Project Runway wanted to protect her daughter from the industry's darker side, sharing with PEOPLE, "It's definitely a ruthless business. It's also changed a lot over the years. It was very different when I started in 1992."
Leni shared that while she was offered modeling jobs since she was young, Heidi would only accept them once her daughter was at least 16 years old.
© Intimissimi"The first offer came when I was only 12 or 13, from a brand I liked to wear: Brandy Melville. At that time, I begged my mother, but no chance. Now I understand that it would have been too early," she said.
Despite her mom's hesitation to allow her daughter into the business, Leni's modeling career started even before she was born. The 51-year-old posted a video to Instagram on Leni's 17th birthday walking the Victoria's Secret Runway in 2003, when she was pregnant with her daughter.
© Jackson LeeShe captioned the post, "I am not alone walking down that catwalk here. If I look close enough then I can see you bumping right along at 4 months @LeniKlum. I loved you before you were born, and I will love you long after I close my eyes forever."
Now Leni has modeled for Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Dior, but her first ever shoot was with Vogue Germany in 2020, alongside her mother. The pair twinned in bold contrast colors, and their matching long blonde hair was worn loose and flowing.
Taking to Instagram to express her excitement for her daughter's first job, Heidi wrote, "I'm so proud of you. And it's not because you've chosen your own path. I know, that no matter which path you were to go down, you would be your own woman."
"You always know exactly what you want and what you don't want," she continued. "You ain't no mini-me and I'm happy for you that you can now show who YOU are.i Klum
