Her mother is one of the fashion world's most recognisable faces, and now Kaia Gerber is following in her footsteps, heading up a new band of supermodels. At just 16, she made her runway debut in Raf Simons' Calvin Klein Collection show – a more glamorous affair than our first rung on the career ladder, that's for sure.
But that initial catwalk performance is merely the tip of the iceberg in comparison to everything else that she has achieved since. From modelling and acting to running her online book club, here's everything you need to know about Kaia Gerber...
Who is Kaia Gerber?
© GettyBorn Kaia Jordan Gerber, the rising runway star is the daughter of supermodel royalty Cindy Crawford and business Rande Gerber. Kaia was born in Los Angeles and landed her first fashion gig at 10, modelling pieces from Young Versace, the Italian luxury label's kidswear line.
In July 2015, she was signed to IMG, one of the industry's biggest modelling agencies. Her career kicked into gear as she approached her mid-teens, and she kept up with her education by taking online classes at Malibu High.
© GettyIn her late teens she racked up an impressive portfolio, walking for the likes of Chanel, Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs and Burberry and even bagged The Fashion Awards' Model of the Year Award in 2018.
MORE: 7 lookalike kids taking after their supermodel mums
READ: Style lessons we've learnt from Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber
Kaia is the first model born in the 2000s to have achieved 'The Big Four' of Vogue covers (American Vogue, British Vogue, Vogue France and Vogue Italia) and she has even posed alongside her mother for various campaigns. Talk about a close bond…
Who is Kaia Gerber's mother?
© GettyKaia is the daughter of supermodel royalty Cindy Crawford. The 57-year-old dropped out of her chemical engineering degree to pursue a career in modelling, and she became one of the industry's most recognisable faces. A household name, Cindy, alongside her peers Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, formed part of the supermodel movement that took the fashion world by storm in the 1990s.
MORE: 90s supermodels: where are they now?
© GettyCommercially versatile, Cindy appeared in countless advertising campaigns and on various magazine covers. She was known for her all-American, girl-next-door look, consisting of a honey-coloured complexion, luscious brown hair, rich brows, and her signature beauty mark above her upper lip.
MORE: Get the look: how to recreate Cindy Crawford's iconic 90s blow dry
Who is Kaia Gerber's brother?
© GettyKaia has a brother, Presley Walker Gerber, who is two years her senior. He is also a model, and can often be spotted at his sister's side at events. Presley made his runway debut at the age of 16 in Moschino's 2017 Cruise show, and since has walked for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana and Balmain.
© GettyPresley has his sister's name and the Roman numerals XXIII tattooed on his left arm, and in 2020 he made headlines when he got the word "misunderstood" inked on his face.
How old is Kaia Gerber?
She was born on September 3 2001, making her 21 years old. Despite not having attended university, Kaia is passionate about education and an avid reader. "I can always go," she told Vogue. "I have no problem with being a 50-year-old in college."
After high school when she moved to New York, Kaia visited bookshops obsessively, and was rarely spotted backstage at fashion shows without a book in her hand. Her love of reading prompted the creation of her own book club during lockdown. She hosts Instagram Lives, chatting with a variety of guests, from authors to actresses, exploring the themes of her chosen novels for her 9.6m followers to enjoy.
Who is she dating?
© GettyKaia is currently dating former Disney star Austin Butler. The pair have been linked since December 2021 and since then they have made quite a few (highly stylish, we’d hasten to add) joint public appearances.
READ: Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler's hottest style moments
Her exes include comedian Pete Davidson and Australian actor Jacob Elordi, so she is more than used to dating in the public eye.
The couple shared a sweet moment at the 2022 Met Gala when they leant in for a kiss at the top of the staircase – fashion’s biggest night of the year clearly didn’t faze them in the slightest.
© GettyShortly after, Kaia supported Austin at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of his film Elvis. Her bombshell red dress felt richly reminiscent of her mum's iconic halter number worn to the 1991 Oscars as she accompanied her then-boyfriend Richard Gere.
Kaia Gerber's 'Nepo Baby' comments
© GettyIn an interview with Elle, Kaia opened up about the opportunities she has been afforded in the industry, weighing in on the 'Nepo Baby' debate.
"I won’t deny the privilege that I have," Kaia explained. "My mom always joked, 'If I could call and book a Chanel campaign, it would be for me and not you.' But I also have met amazing people through my mom whom I now get to work with."
She then addressed the prevalence of nepotism within acting, suggesting that it is less of a powerful force than people make out because "no artist is going to sacrifice their vision for someone’s kid".
"That just isn’t how art is made, and what I’m interested in is art," Kaia said. "Also, no one wants to work with someone who’s annoying, and not easy to work with, and not kind. Yes, nepotism is prevalent, but I think if it actually was what people make it out to be, we’d see even more of it."
Like this story? Sign up to our Hello! Fashion newsletter to get your weekly 'Fashion Fix' delivered straight to your inbox.
