Cindy Crawford: Daughter's entry into modeling 'inevitable'

WARREN, Mich. -- Cindy Crawford says she's more concerned about her 16-year-old daughter sitting behind the wheel of a car than walking a runway.

The supermodel's daughter, Kaia Gerber, made her New York Fashion Week debut last month. Her 18-year-old son, Presley Gerber, also is a model.

"My daughter just got her driver's license. I'm a lot more concerned about her driving by herself than her entering the world of modeling," Crawford said during an interview at a charity event near Detroit. "The great thing for my kids is that I know a lot about that world. I feel like: Who better to help guide them than me?"

Crawford said she understands it's inevitable Kaia Gerber would enter the modeling world. Gerber bears a striking resemblance to her 51-year-old mother.

"In some ways, I wish I could have pushed it off a year or two. But she's 16. That's how old I was when I started, which is young, but in fashion that's kind of the normal age when people start," Crawford said Thursday.

Gerber already has made a splash walking the runway for a number of top designers, including Versace.

At Milan Fashion Week in September, Donatella Versace hosted a runway tribute to her brother, Gianni Versace, 20 years after his slaying in Miami. The show brought together the supermodels Gianni Versace helped create -- Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen and Crawford.

But it also featured the new generation of celebrity models, including the Hadids -- Gigi and Bella -- plus Kendall Jenner and Gerber.

"I didn't know my daughter was doing that show," Crawford said. "The models themselves don't really get booked until the day before or two days before. And finally Kaia got booked for it, and I said, 'You know I'm doing that show, right?'

"She's like, 'Wait, do we have to walk down together?' I said, 'No. I don't even want to walk down with you. I'm going to walk down with the ladies that are my age. You can go with the girls that are your age.'"

Crawford said she was proud to take part in Thursday's ceremony honoring five people who have made a difference in their communities. It was held at an Art Van Furniture store in Warren.

Crawford has served for the past few years as the official ambassador of the Art Van Charity Challenge, a charitable giving initiative that has donated $8 million and raised more than $24 million for 359 charities.

Online:

Art Van Charity Challenge: http://www.artvan.com/ArtVan/upload/ArtVanCharityChallenge/index.html