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I GREW UP AROUND THE WORLD of modeling and
fashion—it’s been familiar to me as long as I can remember.
When most kids had picture books, I had photography
books. Herb Ritts portraits lined my walls. But the idea of
what a model really does is a difficult concept for a child
to understand.
My mom [Cindy Crawford] always made a point of cre-
ating a healthy disconnect. She would leave her work in the
studio—when she got home, the first thing she would do is
go upstairs and take off her makeup. Take off the lashes.
Just take everything off. At home, she was just my mom, and
for that I am forever grateful. I didn’t really grasp the concept
of what her work meant until later, when I watched her do
it. I didn’t know what Naomi Campbell, for example, did,
either—I just knew she was my mom’s friend. Models were
people long before I understood them as models.
Eventually I developed an interest in modeling myself.
When I was 13, I signed with an agency and began taking
small jobs. While it was a young age to start, I was also in
an unusual position: By that time, modeling wasn’t a for-
eign world to me. From my mother I had the kind of knowl-
edge going into it that most girls don’t get. (I have an
incredible admiration, by the way, for the brave young
women who enter the industry without this kind of insight.)
Of course, many things can only be learned from firsthand
experience, but I felt secure knowing the path I was about
to take. Also, most of these early jobs included members
of my family or were shot by people who were far from
strangers. I felt safe and protected: That was the most
important thing. Of course, my age also imposed some
natural limits: I couldn’t travel without a chaperone, for
instance, and I held off on doing runway until I felt I had
the confidence and the right mind-set for such an intense
work schedule.
I was 16 when I walked my first runway, at Raf Simons’s
spring 2018 show for Calvin Klein. Walking shows is such
a strange thing because we all walk every day—but when
you’re suddenly wearing designer clothes and there are more
eyes on you than usual, you can lose that natural ability. I
remember seeing my older brother, Presley, front row, which
gave me the extra bit of loving support I needed.
I’ve walked every season since—but until now I haven’t
appeared much in fashion magazines. Shortly after my first
show, Vogue and other publications adopted new rules
regarding age limitations within the industry—mainly that
no model under the age of 18 could appear in editorials
on their pages—and called on the rest of the fashion indus-
try to join them. The rules were made as the fashion world
began to reckon with sexual harassment and assault issues
amid the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. Models
began speaking up and speaking out, making it known that
our industry was suffering from the same problems. And
not just our industry, either—every industry. All people
deserve respect and safety in their place of work, no matter
their position or title, so though these new rules limited
my work, I was not conflicted about them for a moment.
They have affected the industry for the better in a lot of
ways. It feels all of us are more protected—that our voices
are being heard and encouraged and supported.
In the short time I’ve been modeling, I’ve noticed other
positive shifts, too. At runway shows and on set, people are
more aware of everyone’s comfort. Communication is more
open. In an industry where people are constantly touching
you, even the little things matter: Being asked, “Can I unbut-
ton your shirt?” or “Can I tuck your shirt in?” goes a long
way. When people are comfortable and feel safe, it shows in
the final product. The best art is produced in a space where
everyone feels they have the freedom to be themselves.
For most of my life, I’ve been the youngest person in
the room—oftentimes I still am. But that has never made
me feel less than anyone else. My parents never had a
LEANING INTO IT
“As much insight as my mom could give me, there
are some things I simply had to experience on my own,”
Gerber says. “The industry is very different today.”
Prime Time
Model K aia Gerber—who showcases the work of the Fashion Fund
finalists throughout these pages—reflects on finding her voice
and her footing in an industry in flux. As told to Abby Aguirre.
Photographed by Mikael Jansson.
