How Cindy Crawford Has Paved the Way for Kendall Jenner

Mainstream Recognition: Crawford marked one of the first models—along with the likes of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss—to become a household name and more than just a face on the front of a magazine. Her fame has stood the test of time as she continues to model for major publications and fashion brands.

Jenner—along with pals like Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid—is following in her footsteps as another major name, not only in the modeling world but in Hollywood in general. 

Model Tribes: Speaking of their modeling friends, both Crawford and Jenner help make up the "model tribes" of their different generations.

While Crawford found herself among the "original supermodels," including Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz, Jenner has joined the "Instagirls" with the Hadid sisters, Hailey Baldwin and Emily Ratajkowski. 

In fact, when Stephanie Seymour suggested the "Instagirls" aren't real models, Crawford stepped in to explain her view.

"To me, when your name breaks out of just the fashion world and other people are aware of you, that is what 'supermodel' has come to mean. I don't differentiate between supermodel now and supermodel then," she shared. "Modeling is modeling...Certainly I think social media is a great tool for this generation to promote themselves and get their message out."

The Vogue Factor: Crawford's rise to fame came with her first American Vogue cover, which she marked on her resume at age 20. The cover came out in August 1986.

Interestingly enough, Jenner also saw her first American Vogue cover at age 20, though she'd previously modeled within the publication's the pages several times. Her first photo shoot with American Vogue was when she was 18 in the September 2014 issue.

When asked what was next for the model after her first cover, she mentioned Crawford's influence.

"Everyone has been asking me, 'So, you just met your goal—what's next?'" Jenner wrote on her app following the Vogue cover release. "All I can say is: Cindy had 17 American Vogue covers. I have a long way to go!"

Brand Partnerships: Crawford only catapulted her modeling status when she teamed up with Revlon to become the face of the established makeup brand throughout the '90s. Similarly, Jenner has become the face of Estée Lauder.

Both have helped promote the brands' lipsticks, makeup and fragrances. 

Beyond Modeling: Crawford took her good looks beyond magazines as she was featured in music videos—no one will ever forget George Michael's "Freedom" video—as well as the longtime host of MTV's House of Style.

Not only has Jenner already taken on the world of reality TV (much thanks to Keeping Up With the Kardashians), she's also been featured in a couple music videos, like PartyNextDoor's "Recognize" and the Black Eyed Peas' remake of "Where is the Love." She's also set to make a cameo on the big screen with Ocean's Eight next year.

The All-American: Crawford became known for her all-American looks that proved brunettes with dark eyes are just as sexy as blonde bombshells. Jenner is also an all-american model whose dark features are comparable to that of Crawford.

But looks aside, Crawford lives the American lifestyle, raising her two children, Kaia Gerber and Presley Gerber, with her husband of 19 years, Rande Gerber, all the while continuing to be a #GirlBoss in her successful career.

That's something Jenner also hopes to accomplish as well in her future.

"Seeing models like Cindy Crawford and Gisele [Bündchen] live chill but extremely fortunate and blessed lives seems like exactly what I would want," Jenner wrote on her app last year.

Looks like she'll just have to continue seeking guidance from Crawford for that, too!