
Leni Klum is an American and German fashion model known for debuting on the cover of Vogue Germany alongside her mother Heidi Klum and walking runways for Dolce & Gabbana. She has starred in advertising campaigns for brands including Dior, Fila, Michael Kors, and Intimissimi.
Family background and personal life
Leni Olumi Klum was born on May 4, 2004, in New York City. She is the eldest child of supermodel Heidi Klum and Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, who separated prior to her birth. British singer Seal was present for her birth and officially adopted her in December 2009 when she was five years old. Through her mother's marriage to Seal, she has three younger half-siblings named Henry, Johan, and Lou. Following her mother's subsequent marriage in 2019, musician Tom Kaulitz became her step-father. Although Briatore was not involved in her upbringing, she reestablished a relationship with him by 2023.
Raised primarily in Los Angeles away from public scrutiny, Klum graduated from Pacifica Christian High School in 2022. She subsequently relocated to New York City to enroll at New York University, where she studied interior design while pursuing her career. Klum has been in a relationship with Aris Rachevsky since 2019.
Modeling career
Klum expressed interest in modeling around age 12, having received an early offer from the brand Brandy Melville, but her mother insisted she wait until age 16 before working professionally. She launched her career in December 2020 by appearing alongside Heidi Klum on the cover of the January/February 2021 issue of Vogue Germany, styled in matching pantsuits. In April 2021, she landed her first solo cover for Glamour Germany, marking the twentieth anniversary of her mother's appearance as the publication's inaugural cover star in 2001.
She signed with CAA Fashion before moving to IMG Models. Her runway debut came in January 2021 when she served as the opening model for a digital presentation at Berlin Fashion Week. Klum subsequently walked in Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda haute couture presentations in Venice in 2021 and in Ortigia, Sicily, in July 2022. Her editorial portfolio includes covers for Harper's Bazaar Germany, Harper's Bazaar Kazakhstan, Hunger, Flaunt, and Rollacoaster, alongside commercial campaigns for Dior, Fila, and Michael Kors. Beginning in 2022, she and her mother co-starred in high-profile advertising campaigns for the lingerie brand Intimissimi.
Design and media appearances
Expanding beyond editorial and runway work, Klum partnered with online fashion retailer About You in 2021 to release a collaborative capsule collection, opening the label's fashion week show in Berlin. She followed with a second spring/summer collection for the brand in 2023, emphasizing inclusive sizing and casual apparel.
Klum has also made several appearances on television. She served as a guest judge on the reality competition series Germany's Next Topmodel, appearing in the semifinals in 2022 and returning as a co-moderator and guest judge for the finals in 2023.
Quick facts
- Leni Klum was adopted by British singer Seal in December 2009 when she was five years old.
- She made her professional modeling debut at age 16 alongside her mother on the cover of the January/February 2021 issue of Vogue Germany.
- She walked her first runway as the opening model for a digital edition of Berlin Fashion Week in January 2021.
- Her first solo magazine cover was for Glamour Germany in April 2021, commemorating 20 years after Heidi Klum appeared on the magazine's first cover.
- She walked in Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda haute couture shows in Venice in 2021 and in Ortigia, Sicily, in 2022.
- In 2021, Klum released a capsule fashion collection in collaboration with the retailer About You.
- She graduated from Pacifica Christian High School in 2022 before moving to New York City to study interior design at New York University.
- She served as a guest judge on the reality television series Germany's Next Topmodel in both 2022 and 2023.
- She has been in a relationship with Aris Rachevsky since 2019.
FAQs about Leni Klum
Does Heidi Klum's daughter see her biological father?
Flavio Briatore was not involved in Leni Klum's upbringing, but she reestablished a relationship with him by 2023.
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