We’re not sure how she managed it, but Cindy Crawford’s daughter Kaia Jordan Gerber is, by definition, the ultimate mini-me—both on the runway and off. Dad Randy Gerber has model’s looks too, as does her brother Presley, so you can surmise that both kids are endowed with enviable genes. Cindy, a small-town girl from DeKalb, Illinois–where there are more cows than runways–pursued her dream of becoming a supermodel and her daughter is following in Cindy’s designer footwear. Kaia was born in Los Angeles on September 3, 2001, one week before New York’s World Trade Center tragedy changed the city that made Cindy famous into a mass tragedy that the world won’t soon forget.

At just 16, Kaia may be missing her mother’s famous facial beauty mark, but her attitude, looks and senses of style and confidence stand out in a field of modeling newcomers. Named “one of the fashion industry’s favorite new faces” by “Teen Vogue” in 2017, her bona fides were established when Kaia launched a modeling career at age 10 dressed in a Versace original. Nothing much has changed in the past six years; her 2018 appearance at New York’s Fashion Week helped launch Calvin Klein’s spring and summer designs and her calendar is filled with bookings for the remainder of the year. Not bad for a girl whose contemporaries are more focused on proms and boys than debuting the international collections of some of the world’s greatest fashion designers.

Why has Kaia become so popular? Well, you can start with that face; the one that’s a mirror image of her mom’s minus that beauty mark. Kaia has exotic roots; a blend of German, Irish, Scottish, Danish, English and Jewish heritages, but beneath her beauty, she also has a great head on her shoulders. Who are Kaia’s role models? At the top of her list is Karlie Kloss because she is both friendly and a rule breaker, though Kaia tends to be diplomatic and adds that other young models are favorites, too! Of course, her mom Cindy tops Kaia’s list because she has given her daughter lots of common sense guidance as she makes her way through the daunting gauntlet that comes with today’s fashion industry. Cindy’s confidence in Kaia’s ability to handle pressure is borne of confidence she has installed in both of her children, and she continues to advise both of them on both professional and personal matters.

Where will you see Kaia next? Everywhere. Signed by one of the top talent firms in the nation, IMG Models, Kaia’s future is limitless as she juggles modeling for popular magazines with walking prestigious runway shows, perhaps adding acting to her list of talents and credentials. She could focus on modeling alone, since she’s in constant demand by high-profile ateliers like Prada, Marc Jacobs, Chanel and the aforementioned Calvin Klein and Versace. But Kaia is surprisingly humble. She gives credit where credit is due, saying her mom taught her that “it’s important to be nice to everyone, to learn everyone’s names (on set) no matter if it’s the photographer or the assistant.” She shared this viewpoint during a recent “People” magazine interview. Speaking of Cindy, Kaia adds, “I’ve gone to set with her and seen her do it, and she leads by example.” What mom wouldn’t be proud of a daughter who’s got her head on this straight at the age of 16?