When Cindy Crawford’s daughter, Kaia Gerber, was tasked with filling her supermodel mom’s shoes, she not only fit the mold — she broke through it.
In a cover shoot interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, Gerber, 24, opened up about her childhood, saying that her adolescence was “as normal as it could have been” despite her being “pretty isolated.” Even with reclusion, the second-generation model explained how it helped shape her success later on in life.
Kaia Gerber & Her Brother Remember Their Childhood Differently
GettyGerber — whose mom redefined the fashion industry in the ‘90s and father, Rande Gerber, co-founded the tequila brand Casamigos — told the outlet that her memories of growing up are distinctly different from how her brother, Presley Gerber, remembers it.
“It’s so interesting to articulate your own childhood, because I have a brother who’s two years older, and our memories are completely contradictory, which is really fascinating, and I think has taught me so much about how multiple realities can exist at once,” she shared.
Gerber’s brother bravely shared in Dec. 2025 that his mental health was teetering on the edge of destruction, leading him to distance himself from old friends. “I’ve grown up in Hollywood, and there’s a lot of people around that I love to death, but right now, I try not to be around them,” Presley shared in a now-deleted Instagram video, adding that his “panic attacks” were consuming his life, the Daily Mail reports.
Cindy Crawford’s Influence on Kaia Gerber’s Modeling Career
GettyWhile continuing to talk with Harper’s BAZAAR, Gerber also recalled how Crawford’s nude photos were often on display throughout their Malibu home. Although she was just a child, the model said she found the photos more of an inspiration than a distraction.
“They were, to me, artistic. It wasn’t vulgar; it wasn’t objectification,” Gerber explained, adding how it was “a gift to grow up in a house that was without shame for the female body.”
Learning to celebrate yourself wasn’t the only thing she said her famed mom taught her. Gerber expressed to the outlet how Crawford helped her find her affinity for reading, saying that her youth was “book heavy.”
Although her parents were standout stars in Hollywood, Gerber said she “always went to public school,” adding, “I did theater. I did every community play. I was in choir. I did singing recitals. I danced.” One of her favorite memories, though, was seeing the Broadway show “Wicked” eight times because her parents knew she loved it.
As for the guidance Crawford gave her as an aspiring model when she broke into the scene at age 10, Gerber shared, “She’ll be very honest in ways that, sometimes, it’s hard to hear. She’s usually right, which is infuriating, but she’s also very willing to let me make a mistake that she made 30 years ago.”
