The Gorgeous Transformation Of Heidi Klum's Daughter Leni

We've caught glimpses of Leni Klum over the years — alongside the rest of Seal and Heidi Klum's kids, who are all growing up so fast — but she officially made a splashy debut into It girl society around 2020 when she was in her late teens. Leni and Heidi graced the January/February 2021 cover of Vogue Germany in jewel-toned separates, and were cleverly angled to hide that Leni wasn't blessed with her mom's 5 foot, 9 inch frame; she's petite at just 5 feet, 4 inches tall. Back then, Leni's look was pretty much what you'd imagine: totally California cute in honey blond highlights, but perhaps just shy of extraordinary. 

In the years since, though, Leni's transformation has been one to watch. The blond evolved into a trendy dark and rich hot chocolate brunette hair color that feels like money, the makeup has gotten chicer, and the vibe is quiet but confident. About the nepo baby thing, Leni told People in October 2022 that she knew she "got a lift" and access to rooms she wouldn't otherwise have, were she not the eldest daughter of a '90s supermodel. Still, the IMG model seems to be settling into her own style.

The first post Leni Klum seems to have ever made to her official Instagram account is a video from a shoot for that Vogue Germany cover. She's alongside mom, Heidi Klum, both dressed in near identical looks from Chanel and sporting similar long blond 'dos. Talk about making an entrance. "Vogue was insane," Leni told Flaunt while reflecting on the experience. "Especially because it was my first job ever." It was adorable and they both looked great, but the Heidi 2.0 vibes felt a little forced. Leni didn't really seem to have a unique style yet. But to be fair, this was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Few of us were at peak performance.

Going into 2021, Leni landed the April cover of Glamour Germany, her first solo cover. She also walked her first runway show: the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda show in Venice when she was just 17 years old. Leni was also a regular on the red carpet scene — often with Heidi by her side — in darling, age-appropriate looks.

Leni Klum had a lot going on in 2022. The model in the making turned 18, graduated high school, and moved from the Los Angeles area to New York City to study interior design. Her hair took a noticeable turn from blond to a teddy bear brunette, punched up with lovely hints of auburn, that took her instantly from cute kid to gorgeous young woman. In late 2022, Leni debuted a lob; in 2023 she went even shorter, opting for a wavy blunt bob, one of the most popular hairstyles of the era. Leni's makeup became more polished and sophisticated, too, with subtler brows and flirty mascara-laden lashes.

Leni also started to enter her cut-the-check era in 2022. She became an ambassador for Dior Beauty and also inked a deal with ghd, the glossy brand touting professional, high-end hair styling tools. And in 2023, the first photos for the sweet but sexy campaign Leni and Heidi Klum shot for Italian lingerie and sleepwear brand Intimissimi started to circulate.

Not to keep harping on her hair, but it just got better and better until it reached its crescendo around 2024. We'll call this chapter in the book of Leni Klum, "Dark Romance." She was rocking deep, espresso-colored hair that was a much better fit for her skin's cool undertones and those killer blue-green eyes. And shout-out to Leni's hard-to-forget beauty moments defined by strong brows, heavily lined lips, and winged eyeliner. 

On growing up with a front-row seat to fashion and beauty, Leni told People in 2021, "I've always gone to work with my mom and thought, 'This looks so fun. She looks so happy while she's working. I'd jump in sometimes, and I'd play around with the makeup that her makeup artist would bring." By this time, Leni was continuing to model for brands including Replay and David Yurman, and to solidify herself as a new global It girl, attending buzzy events at home and abroad.

For Leni Klum, these couple of years were all about quiet elegance and the cool-girl aesthetic that has come to be associated with a working model. She busted out many refined, all-black outfits including the three-quarter sleeve jacket and maxi skirt set she wore to Vanity Fair's Vanities Party – A Night for Young Hollywood in March 2026. Around this time, her locks were a bit lighter, more of a dusty chestnut brown. Leni's makeup was often ultra modern and minimalist, and perfect for her fairer tone.

In 2025, Leni was back on the cover of Glamour Germany for the March issue, her face framed in a delicate wreath of ivory petals. And in 2026, she, mama Heidi Klum, and brother Henry shot a raucous, high-energy spread and cover for Paper magazine. It's safe to predict that the eldest Klum kid will keep moving through the fashion world with grace and reverence for the superstar stock from which she comes, but unafraid to claim her own style.