Natalia Vodianova didn't "expect" her son to pursue modelling.
Natalia Vodianova
The supermodel's son, Lucas Alexander Portman, has just walked for Balmain in his first menswear show at the age of 17, and the 37-year-old beauty admitted any concerns she had about him following in her footsteps were eased by a frank chat with the teenager.
She told the Sunday Times' Style magazine: "I didn't expect this. He's a serious boy and he sat me down.
"He told us that before he continues with education [at Yale], he wanted something fun and creative, a bit of a distraction in life. So any reservations, he argued them away!"
Natalia - who has Lucas, Nevas, 13, and 12-year-old Viktor with ex-husband Justin Portman - gave some advice about the catwalk to her son.
She explained: "I told him he has to imagine that this is as normal as when you go down the street rushing to meet a friend. If you try to walk to show off the clothes, you're dead. It is going to be awful.
"Of course, after all my fussing, he was absolutely great and very unconcerned."
The supermodel, who married into the LVMH dynasty with Antoine Arnault - believes the modelling industry is changing.
Natalia said: "The girls now, they are incredibly healthy and sporty. The young generation of girls don't go out so much. Many don't drink or smoke. They know what they want."
The former Calvin Klein model spent her childhood selling fruits at a market stall to help her mother before working relentlessly to gain supermodel status she has today and wants other women to not be "snowflakes" when it comes to modelling.
She said: "It's not a word I use, though I can see some truth to it. There are young people who see the surface of fashion and beauty -- maybe an influencer with millions of followers -- but they don't know how much work goes in to that. You have to do your homework and it does not just happen. But the next generation has good values. They are so far removed from the last world war that they are not thinking, 'how do I secure enough money to save myself?' "
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