How Kendall Jenner And Gigi Hadid Became The Darlings Of Fashion Week
There was once a time when Cara Delevingne was the most talked-about model and Kim Kardashian was the most famous Kardashian/Jenner – but not any more.
Because 19-year-old Kendall Jenner (Kim Kardashian’s little sis) is the name on everyone’s lips at the moment alongside her gal pal Gigi Hadid, 19.
The all-American modelling duo have seemingly sprung up from nowhere this AW15 fashion week season and have clocked up a massive 26 catwalk appearances between them.
To put it into perspective, Suki Waterhouse has walked none this season and Cara D (previously THE fashion It-Girl) has walked just one.
From New York to LA, London to Milan and finally Paris, Kendall and Gigi are well and truly the new Cara and Suki, Jourdan and Joan and dare we say it, Kate and Naomi.
It’s impressive stuff considering they both started their careers as child reality stars – Kendall appeared on Keeping up with the Kardashians and Gigi starred in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
What’s been the secret to their success and how did these former TV stars become The darlings of fashion week?
Insta-Celebs
There’s a new breed of models forming and they’re social-media savvy, Insta-educated and Twitter-verified.
They know how to succeed as new models and that’s by offering fans a glimpse into their personal life.
Kendall is by far the bigger social media superstar (she has more than 20million followers on Instagram and nearly 10 million on Twitter) but both models aren’t afraid to offer a sneak-peek into a models’ life #bts.
Whether it’s candid selfies, first-look modelling shots or personal thank-yous to their followers, these two have the art of social media nailed.
Which designer wouldn’t want these girls to walk on their runway, when they have THAT much of a social following? They’d be stupid not to sign them up…
Off-Duty Style
They might be fashion darlings on the runway - modelling the latest designs from designers including Chanel and Marc Jacobs - but if there’s anything Miranda Kerr taught from her heyday, it’s that street style can make all the difference to a model’s career.
K+G never look anything other than polished and their uniform of bleached, skinny jeans, boxy coats, oversized sunnies and pointed heels is chic and stylish without being too ‘try-hard.’
In other words, we all want to dress like them.
Fashion Schmoozing
High-fashion modelling isn’t simply sitting in the make-up chair and walking in catwalk shows, y’know? Kendall and Gigi both know that a LOT of schmoozing comes with the territory of being a top model.
Whether it’s dinner with Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing, mingling with model Karlie Kloss at her charity fundraiser or dining out with Cara in one of London’s finest restaurants, these girls are well and truly social butterflies.
They know that to get their name out there, there’s a hell of a lot of networking involved. Still, think of all the free clothes…
FROW Appearances
These days, fashion week isn’t all about being a working model – it’s about being a celeb on the FROW too.
Kendall was spotted cosying up to Arcadia CEO Sir Philip Green at the Unique show while Gigi used her free time in New York to watch the Diesel and Tory Burch collections.
You never know, the designers might spot them looking glamorous on the front row and decide to cast them in their next show.
Being a model is a 24/7 job - you can’t afford to miss a promotional opportunity, after all.
Bonus Publicity
It’s no coincidence that both ladies were announced as the new faces of beauty brands just months before AW15 fashion week season kicked off.
Kendall was recently named the new global face of Estee Lauder, followed swiftly by the news that Gigi would be fronting campaigns for US brand Maybelline.
And an NYC party to celebrate the girls’ joint cover for Love magazine was impeccably timed to coincide with New York Fashion Week – of course both of them turned up makingstylish appearances at the event.
Wholesome Image
Despite Kendall being Kim Kardashian’s little sis, there are no sex tapes or #BreakingTheInternet around here – both girls have a reputation for being wholesome, all-American, Cali-born teenagers.
(And the fact that neither Kendall nor Gigi are old enough to drink in the US probably helps matters…)
Things may well change when the girls turn 21, but we have a feeling that they both so determined to success in the modelling industry, they won’t do ANYTHING to mess it up.
Images: Rex/Getty/Instagram
