Cindy Crawford 'Never Thought' She'd Still Be Modeling at 56: 'It's a Skill & You Get Better At It'

Cindy Crawford is more than thriving at the age of 56. A career that she started at the age 16 has continued on for four decades — something she never expected. In her era of supermodels, once you hit a certain age, the modeling industry made way for a new crop of young faces. In 2022, ageism is being thrown out the window as supermodels, including Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Paulina Porikzova, and Heidi Klum, continue to grace the catwalk.

Crawford compared her career to an athlete, telling W magazine, “It’s a skill, and you get better at it.” That’s why she believes that, just like athletes, “your physical being changes,” which brings a new set of talents to the table. “I’m aware that I don’t look the same as I did when I was 25, but I bring experience and confidence in front of the camera that I didn’t have then,” she added. “And I still like what I do. I never thought I’d be working the way that I am at this stage.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cindy Crawford (@cindycrawford)

Crawford has been the Omega watch brand’s longest-running ambassador for 27 years, and now includes her 21-year-old daughter Kaia Gerber in the campaigns. The mother-daughter duo sometimes even walks the runway together — something the fashion industry would have never considered 20 years ago. Gerber has been fortunate to have her mom as a mentor because she is still actively working as a model, which likely made a big difference in her young career.

“One of the things that I did, and Kaia certainly has done . . . is, when you go to work with a photographer or designer, it is like, do your homework. I want to have a language. If I know this photographer shoots this way, when I get to set, I kind of already know what language we might be speaking that day as opposed to just walking in and not knowing anything about the editor or the designer or photographer,” Crawford told Vogue in 2019. “By the time Kaia has started in the fashion industry, she was pretty well versed.” With her mom as her leader and showing everyone how it’s done in this season of life, Gerber is in great hands.

Before you go, click here to see all the famous ’90s supermodels who have since become moms.