Where her mum Cindy Crawford is one of the original supermodels, Kaia Gerber, alongside the likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, is of another type that has harnessed the power of social media to boost their careers and profiles befitting their digital-native status. At present, Gerber has 10 million Instagram followers, and has fronted campaigns for brands ranging from Omega to Alaïa, and walked for Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen to name just two of her many, many catwalk turns.
Of late, Gerber explains that she's started to understand that social media is all about balance. 'I’ve realised the importance of being in nature and disconnecting from the online world. I think that social media does so much good, as it gives you access to communities that have like-minded views, even if the community you live in doesn’t feel that way,' she shares. 'That has helped me appreciate it in times when I’ve also felt resentment towards it.'
Gerber has also come to understand and regularly remind herself that the persona shared online isn't the whole sum of her parts. 'I always remind myself that my social media is a representation of one part of who I am, but not my entire being. That’s important when I’m looking at other people’s going: "Why is their life so perfect?" And then I remember I’m not posting some of the darker times in my life. You need to have grace and forgiveness for both yourself and others on how they portray themselves online.'
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One of the ways that Gerber is using her social media as a force for good is through her digital book club, which sees her interview acclaimed authors and walk through their reads together on Instagram Lives. '[We] have wonderful conversations where I get to learn so much. I want to inspire people to read because books have made such an impact on my life. The first book I read out of high school that opened up a whole door to reading was The Stranger by Albert Camus. A dear friend recommended it and it just blew my mind.'
Running this book club isn't the only additional string to Gerber's ever-expanding bow. She's been exploring the acting world with roles in Bottoms, Babylon and American Horror Story, but it's long been on her agenda. 'I was acting in school before I started modelling and that made my innately shy personality a little bit more outgoing. It made me more comfortable being around people,' she says.
The move from fashion modelling to acting is a path well trodden — just ask Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and Cara Delevingne who've all done the pivot. How do the two compare? 'With modelling, I learned the power of transformation. When I started acting again, I had to completely forget that the camera was there, which is really the opposite of what you do as a model. But I think both go hand in hand,' Gerber affirms.
'Acting has always been my passion, though. It feels fulfilling and I would love to keep doing it. I can't believe how lucky and fortunate I am. I did an Apple TV show last year (Mrs American Pie) where I got to work with a lot of my heroes, like Laura Dern and Kristen Wiig,' Gerber enthuses. 'I was on set with wide-open eyes, hardly able to believe I was there. I got to learn so much from working with them and I'm excited for people to see that. I hope they like it.'
Gerber might be a style pinup in her own right, but like the majority, the 22-year-old is majorly inspired by classic French-girl cool. 'Mostly, I look to the cool French girls to know what to wear and what works,' she tells ELLE UK. 'I love the style of Jane Birkin and Françoise Hardy. My mantra is if it's comfortable and you feel good in it, then wear it. I think dressing for yourself is truly the only important thing about anything you wear.'
Gerber's approach is also heavily influenced by her mum 's long-established and emulated approach. 'My mum has always had very classic style. And I've always snuck into her closet and stolen her clothes,' she adds. 'She has a less is more attitude to hair and make-up which I inherited from her; I would say that neither of us is maximalist at all.'
This approach isn't the only thing, alongside their recognisably shared characteristics, the pair have in common. The mother-daughter duo are also both Omega faces, with Crawford its longest-standing ambassador for over 30 years and her daughter its newest. The pair recently came together in New York to celebrate this family-meets-fashion happening, both reflecting their simple, classic approach to style in top-to-toe black ensembles.
Today, they might have these cute reunion moments in the centre of the style spotlight, but family time has always been important for the Gerber-Crawford household. 'My childhood was focused around quality family time,' Gerber explains. 'My parents both worked very hard but when they were home, they were really home with us, giving us all of them. I look up to my mum’s career so much but I look up to her as a person even more.'
