So it seems, 49-year-old Cindy Crawford is stepping away from the spotlight and her 14-year-old daughter Kaia Gerber is ready to take her place.
As she turns 50 on February 20, Crawford told United Airlines Rhapsody Magazine she thought it was time to “move on” from modelling:
“I’m sure I’ll have my picture taken for 10 more years, but not as a model any more,”
“And that’s OK. I’ve done it. I’ve worked with all these incredible photographers. What else do I need to do? I can’t keep reinventing myself. I shouldn’t have to keep proving myself. I don’t want to,” Crawford said.
Crawford’s Career
She started modelling at the age of 17, so let’s you do the math: she’s been in the industry for 33 years. Her modelling career started after she dropped out of chemical engineering at Northwestern University, and relocated to New York City in 1986.
She was nicknamed as “Baby Gia” in resemblance to the top model Gia Carangi, and immediately landed modelling jobs.
Her big break was when she was chosen as the model for the August 1986 cover of Vogue. The magazine decided not to airbrush out her beauty spot above her lip and this is what gave her a unique trademark.
Since then, she went on to become one of the world’s famous top models, appearing on the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar.
Kaia Gerber
Her daughter Kaia seems to be following in her footsteps at a much younger age. At only 14, she has 357,000 Instagram followers and is an exact replica of her mother.
Gerber said:
“After shooting a Young Versace ad when I was 10 years old, all I could think was, this is it,”
She also shared what she learned from her mother, “It’s reassuring to know even Cindy Crawford doesn’t wake up looking like ‘Cindy Crawford.’ That’s helped me learn to be happy with myself as I am.”
She already has a contract with IMG and has now landed her first modelling campaign for Chrome Hearts’ eyewear spring/summer 2016 campaign, where she proved she was ready to start a career in modelling.
Chrome Hearts’ owner and photographer, Laurie Lynn Stark, said, “What a privilege it has been to watch Kaia blossom into her own. Our families have been dear friends for so long so this was emotional for me—Kaia is an incredible talent, truly finding her own style as a model!”
Running Joke?
So is Cindy really ready to pass the baton to her daughter Kaia?
She has stated one of the reasons for choosing to hand in her heels is her age. Not that age has ever stopped her, but more specifically, her age compared with the age of her look-alike daughter Kaia.
“I don’t want to be trying to compete with my 14-year-old daughter because I would lose!”
She laughed.
But even though she recently stated she was planning on moving on modelling when she turns 50, it seems she isn’t actually as sure about that as we first thought.
She posted this photo on Instagram, quoting it’s a “running joke” in her family that she will retire but that doesn’t necessarily mean she will.
“Every year, I tell my kids I’m retiring. It’s a running joke in our family. And yet every year, opportunities pop up that really excite me. While it’s true that I’m eager to shift my focus a bit to concentrate on my businesses, friends and family – I’m not making any final statements (not all headlines tell the whole story!).” I have loved being part of the fashion industry for the past 30 years — and if that time has taught me anything, it’s this: never say never. Thanks for all the support, I’m so excited for what 2016 holds! xo Cindy.”
But whether she retires at 50 or not, her legacy already exists through her daughter and it’s no secret that Kaia Gerber is one to keep an eye out for.
