Leni Klum turns 20: from hidden teenager to sought-after model

Leni Klum (20) has only been in the spotlight for four years – but in that time she has experienced more than some people do in a lifetime. For 16 years, hardly anything was known about Heidi Klum’s (50) eldest daughter. However, since her debut on the cover of German Vogue, her every move has received a lot of attention. Today, May 4th, the model celebrates his 20th birthday. Leni Klum has already celebrated numerous highlights in her young career.

Leni Klum was born on May 4, 2004 in New York City. Her mother Heidi Klum and her father, the former Formula 1 manager Flavio Briatore (74), separated while she was pregnant. In 2009, Klum’s then husband Seal (61) adopted the five-year-old. Leni has both German and US citizenship.

In 2021, Leni Klum dared to go public

For 16 years, Heidi Klum strictly ensured that no photos of her daughter were made public. The surprise in December 2020 was even bigger: Leni appeared with her mother on the cover of the January/February issue of the German “Vogue”. This paved the way into the fashion world. Leni has also had an official Instagram account since her 16th birthday – and has amassed 1.8 million followers to date. “Sixteen is a good age. If you can drive a car, you can also have an official Instagram account and show your face,” Heidi Klum explained her decision to “Vogue”.

In fact, Leni apparently always dreamed of a career as a model. “It was only a matter of time before I tried modeling myself. The first offer came when I was only twelve or thirteen years old,” she explained in . At that time, however, her mother forbade it.

Catwalk debut at Fashion Week

Leni Klum appeared on the catwalk for the first time in summer 2021 – although at 1.68 meters she doesn’t quite meet the criteria of a runway model. She modeled for Dolce & Gabbana as part of Milan Fashion Week, receiving a lot of international attention. She had previously landed her first job at Berlin Fashion Week – but because of the corona pandemic, she only walked the catwalk digitally. After Milan, her first real appearance at Berlin Fashion Week was in the fall: Leni presented her own collection, which was created together with the online retailer “About You”.

In her young years, Leni has already achieved what many models only dream of throughout their lives. This was followed by magazine covers with star photographers for “Hunger Magazine”, the German “Glamour”, “L’officiel Liechtenstein” and the German and Kazakh “Harper’s Bazaar” as well as numerous advertising deals. She has also appeared as a guest judge on “Germany’s Next Top Model”. “It’s just a fact: My parents are famous. I got jump-start help and I know that many people dream of being able to start like that,” Leni explained in an interview with the US magazine “People” about her rocket launch.

Account Verses

Despite her short career, Leni has already faced criticism. First, a photo for the magazine “Rollacoaster” in October 2021 sparked controversy – it showed the then 17-year-old with a bare breast that was only covered by her hand. But the negative voices became even louder when she had a job with her mother Heidi. The mother-daughter duo have posed in lingerie several times for campaigns for the underwear brand “Intimissimi”. The partner shoot with little material was described by some users on social media as “strange” or even “disturbing”.

The model isn’t intimidated by this. “To be honest, I haven’t looked at many reactions. If I don’t see them, I don’t have to pay attention to them, I just don’t know what’s being spread,” Leni Klum told Page Six. She really enjoyed the shoot with her mother and was happy with the photos.

Studying architecture is the priority

Leni Klum apparently enjoys shooting with her mother – but is determined to finally step out of her shadow. “Of course I feel the pressure to be as good as her. But I don’t have to be exactly like her. We are very different, I am my own person. I am Leni, not Heidi,” she clarified in 2021. In addition She is already building up a second source of income through modeling.

Leni has been studying interior design at a university in New York City since graduating high school in 2022. That’s why she left home. Leni attaches great importance to her studies. “I know that I don’t have to go to university. But since I actively decided to do so, it is important to me to take my studies seriously. My priority is to attend all the courses and do my homework,” emphasized she told “Instyle”.

It’s not just her mother who supports her. Leni seems to have a close relationship with her adoptive father even after the divorce. Seal proudly shows up with her again and again on the red carpet. At the beginning of the year, for example, she attended the film premiere of “The Book of Clarence” with him and her siblings. Heidi Klum is also fully behind her firstborn and her ambitions. “I’m very proud of my daughter and her modeling. And she’s studying on the side, she’s already juggling,” she enthused to People.

Awarded since 2021

With so much to do, does your private life fall by the wayside? Not with Leni Klum, because she can manage that too. She has been dating ice hockey player Aris Rachevsky (20) since 2021. She likes to share insights into her love on her Instagram account and shows herself hugging her boyfriend. The two also adopted a dog together at the beginning of the year.

So you’ll definitely see a lot more of the birthday child in the coming years. Whether as a model, as an interior designer, as an influencer or alongside her famous parents.