From the outside looking in, Kaia Gerber’s explosion onto the fashion scene reads like manifest destiny: The lithe daughter of a supermodel turns 16, becomes a street style magnet, lands every big runway show, and ascends to star status in just over a month. Embodying both the current nostalgia for the ’90s glamazon beauty ideal and the modern obsession with second-generation stars, Gerber came along at exactly the right time, but the intensity of the attention surprised even her. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into my first season,” she shares post–Paris Fashion Week, after a whirlwind of 18 shows in four different cities. “I believe it’s really hard to explain unless you experience it firsthand.”
The story of Gerber’s rise through the ranks actually begins two years ago. Raised in Malibu by her parents, Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, she enjoyed the life of a normal teenager—sports, clubs, and yes, homework—before signing with IMG Models in 2015 at the age of 13. Modeling’s focus on youth is often a subject of controversy; just this week Crawford had to defend her decision to let her daughter work while still in high school, even though the average new runway star has yet to hit 18. Making it to that point often means years of development: learning how to walk, testing with photographers to improve posing skills, and most of all, getting familiar with the industry’s inner workings. The process, often conducted as models continue their studies, is time-consuming, but it results in young women who are better prepared to handle a business known for its rigorous pace and stiff competition. For Gerber, getting ready for her big moment also meant laying some groundwork in advance (she took summer school classes this year to make up for her weeks away) and setting herself up so as to stay balanced (she traveled with her mother the entire time, and had a family member present at almost every show she walked). Now she’s back in school, and planning to be selective about which jobs she takes on between now and graduation.
Gerber’s early introductions to fashion were auspicious. She appeared in the pages of Italian Vogue shot by Steven Meisel, making an instant impression by landing a covetable gig and nailing it. When she won the respect of Meisel’s creative team, stylist Karl Templer and makeup legend Pat McGrath helped pave the way for her runway success. “She’s one of the kindest and sweetest young women I have the pleasure of working with. She’s major!” says McGrath, who continued her collaboration with Gerber behind the scenes at multiple shows. McGrath considers the beauty a future icon in the mold of her famous mother. “Cindy Crawford is one of the women who personify the word supermodel. I cannot express in words how happy I am that her little girl has become a star in her own right.”
Talking to Gerber’s frequent collaborators gives a sense of why she’s special. “When Kaia is in the room, everything gets better,” said Love magazine editor in chief Katie Grand, who worked with Gerber at Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Miu Miu in addition to giving her one of her first covers. “She’s gorgeous, professional, hardworking, charming, and a ray of beautiful sunshine.” Though many chalk modern stardom up to social media metrics or the ability to move product, modeling remains a business of relationships. A girl can book an impressive slate of work thanks to her looks, but longevity only comes by retaining those connections. Gerber has done well in that regard so far: After snagging a plum first campaign with Alexander Wang as part of his Spring 2016 #WangSquad, she joined regulars like Issa Lish and Anna Ewers in the kinetic ad series only to follow it up with the opening spot in his Spring 2018 show. “I’ve been bugging Kaia to open my show for a while,” said Wang. “When her mom finally gave me the green light, I was more than ecstatic!”
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This milestone moment helped to propel Gerber’s success throughout the month. While different markets tend to prefer different types of girls, making it difficult for models to land the same caliber of clients in every city, Gerber had no problems with that. Casting director Anita Bitton, who selects the lineups at powerhouse shows like Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta, and Marc Jacobs, chalks Gerber’s global appeal up to her combination of all-American beauty and intelligence. “I think Kaia would have had an incredible response any season; it just so happened her 16th birthday was in time for Spring ’18,” says Bitton, who has been working with Gerber since the Alexander Wang ad about a year earlier. “She is grounded and honest and smart beyond her years. I don’t think this is a seasonal thing; this is the prelude to a superstar.” That sense of anticipation is part of what makes Gerber so interesting to watch. Spotting the next star has always been a part of the fun of Fashion Week, but it’s rare to happen upon a sure bet. At the beginning of a career that could potentially last a lifetime, Gerber aims to pace herself; her quality over quantity workload of 18 shows over a month was actually relatively light in comparison to the typical 30-plus bookings of a model hitting critical mass. “I learned the importance of sleep during the course of this season!” she says. “Taking time for yourself is crucial when you’re surrounded by people all day.”
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By now the importance of self-care for models is no secret, but taking things slow and steady doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing less of Gerber, who has said she’s inspired by the multifaceted career of her “big sis,” model-mogul Karlie Kloss, and the current wave of beauties using their platforms to promote good causes. In the meantime, as she reenters the world of schoolbooks and SAT prep, Gerber still has to pinch herself when she looks back on the epic season that was: “I definitely didn’t know how amazing it would be and how fortunate I would be.”
Inside Kaia Gerber’s Whirlwind First Fashion Week