Cindy Crawford Molded Kaia Gerber Into The Next Pop Culture Icon

As the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and male-model-turned-businessman Rande Gerber, Kaia Gerber seems to have been destined for a career on the runway, but, as Kaia’s career begins to take off, the young model says her upbringing deserves as much credit as her genetics. While Ms. Gerber certainly acknowledges that she has been blessed with good looks from her parents, she adds that Cindy Crawford’s parenting style also helped to prepare her for life in the spotlight. At only 15 years old, Kaia still hasn’t grown accustomed to living under that spotlight’s harsh glare, but she says the life lessons she has learned from Crawford have gone a long way in preparing her for that future.

Kaia Gerber Opens Up About Being Cindy Crawford’s Daughter

Daily Front Row’s Fourth Annual Media Awards in New York on Thursday was the setting for Kaia Gerber’s latest achievement, accepting the Model of the Year award, and, as Fox News reports, Kaia admitted to still not feeling comfortable with the red carpets and flashing lights. While she says she doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to the attention, simply because it’s “not normal,” Gerber added that having her family present to support her was a big help.

“It means so much to me that they came,” Gerber says. “We live in L.A., so for them to fly to New York and it’s a busy time this year [during New York Fashion Week]. So I am really honored that they came to support me.”

Joining Cindy Crawford in showing support for Kaia’s big event, father Rande Gerber and brother Presley Gerber were in attendance to provide encouragement.

Kaia says that Cindy has been a great mother and a superb role model, providing her with sage advice for life and for modeling. Asked to share some of that advice, Gerber reveals that Ms. Crawford once told her to always have an image or memory in mind for every photograph, so she doesn’t appear to have a blank stare. She says Crawford told her to always have a reason for what she was doing.

Taking after Cindy in the modeling world hasn’t been easy for Kaia, but she says it has all been worth it in the long run.

“It seems like a lot, but I definitely need time to do normal teenage things,” says Ms. Gerber. “Even though I have to miss out on some things that normal teenagers do, this makes it all worth it.”

Marc Jacobs Beauty Snags Kaia Gerber

Sharing similar looks with mother Cindy Crawford hasn’t hurt Kaia’s chances for making it in the modeling world, and, as Allure shares, Ms. Gerber is already garnering special attention for her unique beauty. She has just been named the new face of Marc Jacobs Beauty for 2017, so Gerber’s growing fanbase can expect to see her fresh looks supporting the high-quality brand of cosmetics in the coming year.

Whether she’s preparing for a new shot or posing as a divinely inspired cross between a lioness and a Greek goddess, it’s easy to mistake Gerber for her mother, but that’s not to suggest Kaia doesn’t possess her own unique style of beauty and poise. One look into her eyes and it’s easy to see why Marc Jacobs Beauty executives are in love with Kaia’s seductive look.

“I’m so excited and honored that my first beauty campaign is with Marc Jacobs, an icon in the fashion industry,” Gerber told Allure. “I’m obsessed with his beauty products, and like everything else he does, Marc Jacobs Beauty makes you feel feminine and playful.”

Marc Jacobs Beauty is indeed planning to capitalize on that uniquely mesmerizing look in Kaia’s eyes, as they plan to have Cindy Crawford’s daughter promote a new line of eye make-up. The company promises “eyes with colorful new products” in the coming year.

[Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images]