Fashion

Cindy's Advice To Her Daughter Kaia Is Sweet

by Marc Cuenco

With her daughter slowly making her way up the fashion ladder, Cindy Crawford's advice for Kaia Gerber is to not get sucked in by the pressures that young models face today. In an interview with Net-A-Porter's The EDIT, the supermodel and author of the memoir Becoming shared what she was most concerned about her 14-year-old daughter becoming a model. Crawford pointed out how much the modeling industry and its standards have changed ever since she conquered the catwalk with her All-American beauty and charm back in the late '80s and early '90s.

“Today, models are expected to be so tiny and I worry about that for her, because that was never my natural body type and I don’t think it’ll be hers either," Crawford said. "Still, I’ll say to her, ‘Enjoy carbs while you can!’" Even though she threw in that little joke, Crawford still sounded like any concerned mother who's watching her daughter take on the same career path as her. But as a fashion icon and veteran, her advice to Gerber is also cautionary. Crawford's seen how the industry has changed while her statement echoes what fellow supermodel Tyra Banks said earlier this year about models having to look "skinnier than skinny" as well as the inherent sizeism in fashion that Chelsea Bonner talked about in Daily Mail Australia.

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However, despite the challenges she will potentially face in her career, Crawford is confident that her daughter will stand her ground and follow in her footsteps. “She’s much more together and worldly than I was at her age,” she said. In the past, Crawford has also given great advice to others — models or not. Here are five little life lessons that the supermodel, businesswoman, and mom has shared over the years.

On Beauty

In a column for Into The Gloss, the supermodel talked about what she considers beautiful: "Beauty, to me, is really about two things: confidence and passion. It's the way you carry yourself, trusting that what you have to say is interesting, being engaged, and having that spark of excitement in your eye."

On Professionalism

In her 2013 interview with The EDIT, Crawford shared her secret to a successful modeling career: “I am very professional, so I think that got me far. It’s kind of underrated in the fashion world to be on time, for example. Sometimes I would be annoyed that certain models — we shall not name names — could show up five hours late to a shoot and there was no consequence.”

On Makeup & Filters

"If someone wants to wear makeup and that makes them feel good, fantastic," Crawford told ELLE Canada. "If they feel great with nothing on, that's fantastic too. If someone wants to use a filter, that's fine — I would! Even some of those people who say 'Hey, I love my lines' probably took five pictures of themselves and chances are they picked the one that they think looks the best."

On Finding Balance

“Not every day is going to be perfect," she told The Huffington Post. "God no. But for me, balance can be the goal. I know when I don’t feel like I have time for my physical body, my mental body, my kids and my husband. One day might be very kid-centric or work-centric, but if you look at it over the course of the week -- that’s where you look for balance. It’s unrealistic to think that it can be every day.”

On Constantly Evolving

"I’ve also allowed my career to evolve and follow me where I was going in my life," Crawford told Vogue . "For instance, when I was into working out, I did an exercise video; or when I became a new mother, I became involved with a baby company; as a model I take care of my skin, so I created Meaningful Beauty; and even doing a furniture collection, because now as a mom and a wife, I’m more concerned about creating a home. All of those things have reflected where I am at the moment."

Preach, Cindy.

Images: Giphy