Monday 13th October 2025
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From Young Versace to French Vogue: the meteoric rise of Kaia Gerber

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From Young Versace to French Vogue: the meteoric rise of Kaia Gerber

At just 17 years old, Kaia Gerber is one of the youngest models ever to grace the cover of Vogue Paris – and yet her October 2018 shoot is far from her debut for the illustrious institution. She first appeared alongside supermodel mother Cindy Crawford (one of the 1990s’ revered ‘Big Five’) for the April 2016 edition, at the delicate age of just 14 years old; so how did such a young starlet secure her place as fashion’s latest it-girl?

The second child of nightlife mogul Rande Gerber and model royalty Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber quickly joined the ranks of Georgia May Jagger, Iris Law, and Lily Rose Depp as the new generation of models inherently destined for glory. The brunette beauty landed her first job at the age of ten years old, posing in the first ad campaign for Young Versace, the kids line dreamed up by Italian designer Donatella Versace. Whilst paparazzi photos captured Gerber as the fresh-faced, playful child that she was in everyday life, the cameras of Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott transformed her into a self-assured, charming young muse.

Fast-forward a few years to 2015, and a 13 year-old Gerber gazes demurely out of a teen Vogue cover, framed by a flowing mane of soft brown hair. The likeness between her and her mother is unmistakable; Kaia’s enchanting stare and delicate features are unquestionably reminiscent of the endless magazine covers and ad campaigns that made Crawford a household name. You’d be forgiven for imagining Gerber as a conceited, narcissistic child; the accompanying interview, however, paints a picture of a warm, bubbly teenager, with interests ranging from creative writing to acting, literature to hip-hop dancing.

It was not until 2017, however, that Gerber truly started her journey towards catwalk domination, as she made her runway debut for Raf Simons’ inaugural Fall collection for Calvin Klein. The collection drew inspiration from classic office-wear pieces, and the refined, chic designs perfectly suited Gerber’s elegant frame. Having made her mark on the world stage, she was quickly snapped up by some of the most renowned global fashion houses, and booked labels from Chanel, to Prada, to Alexander Wang for Spring 2018 Fashion Week.

With three Vogue Paris covers under her belt, a campaign for Marc Jacobs’ quintessential Daisy fragrance, and an ever-expanding catalogue of runway triumphs, it’s hard to imagine how Gerber can continue to surpass her own accomplishments. Most recently, she has tried her hand on the other side of the design process, releasing a capsule collection with Chanel veteran Karl Lagerfeld, christened Karl Lagerfeld x Kaia. The line sees Gerber bring a fresh, sporty style to Lagerfeld’s more classic, Parisian aesthetic – following hot on the heels of Tommy Hilfiger’s innovative collaboration with fellow model Gigi Hadid.

A CV full of accolades of such magnitude at such a young age is certainly an impressive feat, however; Gerber’s success is also undeniably symptomatic of one of the main issues with today’s modeling industry; namely, the growing preference for ‘celebrity’ models whose names are as lucrative as their talents. Just a couple of months ago, reality star-turned-supermodel Kendall Jenner, who recently surpassed Gisele Bündchen as the world’s highest-paid model, was widely criticised for an interview where she appeared to mock the intense and difficult work load of being a full-time model, undertaken by her peers. Many saw the remark as indicative of Jenner’s celebrity privilege, being able to pick and choose the jobs that best boost her image, as opposed to having to truly work hard to be noticed within the industry.

In a similar way, Gerber undoubtedly benefits from the high profile of her parents – after all, how many 10-year olds can you name who made their modeling debut for one of the world’s most famous fashion houses? Yet with tabloid features portraying an overworked, tired-looking Kaia following her New York Fashion Week debut last September, she is certainly not one to rest on her laurels and sets herself apart from the Jenners of the industry by taking a serious, committed approach to her work. Whether or not you agree with the opportunities that Gerber has had access to, it is an aspect of the industry that is seemingly unavoidable in such a social media and fame-obsessed era. It is the responsibility of both agencies and labels to continue to work towards a more diverse and equitable casting process for models, and to take a severe approach to attitudes of complacency or egotism.

Meanwhile, if her mother’s enduring legacy is anything to go by, it seems the fashion world has barely scratched the surface of Gerber’s potential as a model – and having been branded ‘the new Kate Moss’ following her Calvin Klein Jeans ad, the young star looks set to command catwalks and campaigns alike for many years to come.

Oxford launches new social enterprise support scheme

Angus Brown
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Oxford launches new social enterprise support scheme

Oxford University has launched a new social enterprise support scheme in order to enable academics the opportunity to create new “spinout companies” based on their research.

Previously Oxford University Innovation (OUI) has primarily supported the development of start-up companies (founded by students but incubated in the university) and spinout companies (those seeking to generate profit from new technologies developed by faculty members).

This new project aims to allow staff in the humanities and social sciences, who the university have described as being “often underrepresented in university innovation”, the opportunity to translate their ideas into new companies focused on social impact.

To support this, OUI has launched a new fund, named SE2020, which has been given £550,000 to support the development of new social and environmental ideas seeking to have a positive real-world impact. It aims to add another 10 spinout companies a year to Oxford’s already substantial share of the academic spinout market.

Unlike regular start-up and spinout companies, these social enterprises would seek to create companies placing societal or environmental missions at the heart of the business rather than profit.

Dr Mark Mann, the Innovation Lead for Humanities and Social Sciences at Oxford University Innovation said “Colleagues at the University want to get as many of these great ideas deployed as widely as possible. To do that, you need a broad range of methods to maximise an idea’s impact.”

“With our new social enterprise service, we can now get far more of the great ideas generated in Oxford deployed across the world and improving people’s lives”.

Professor Chas Bountra, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the university, added that “In 2016, this University created an unprecedented number of new spinouts, more than any other university in the UK” and said that he “anticpates the… number will double in the coming years”.

History theses will be examined by supervisors in new trial

Libby Cherry
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History theses will be examined by supervisors in new trial

Beginning this term, the Oxford History Faculty will be trialling a new method of marking of undergraduate theses which will see thesis supervisors being included as one of the two examiners in most cases.

Formerly, supervisors were able to estimate the mark of a student’s 12,000-word essay but would have no say in the final result.

Bridge essays and interdisciplinary theses within joint schools will be excluded from the preliminary trial to allow joint schools’ committees have an opportunity to appraise the proposal.

A spokesperson for the History Faculty told Cherwell the changes were to “ensure marking is conducted by academics most appropriately qualified in the specialist areas addressed by undergraduate theses.”

They added: “The change has been brought in after a positive consultation with students and Faculty academics. The system is common in other UK universities, none of whom reported any problems or concerns when contacted by the Faculty.”

The trial will initially run for two years to allow the Faculty to assess its impact.

In light of the changes, one History graduate told Cherwell: “This seems sensible and, I think, reflects well on the Faculty that they are acting on such concerns, but of course will happen too late for me and my cohort.”

The student had “finals’ consternation” as a result of his thesis paper, for which he had a supervisor from outside of college.

“I received a much lower mark than myself and my supervisor anticipated, leading me to miss my conditions for an MSt place. It was obviously a very frustrating time, and did seem quite unfair.”

He stressed that he did not feel his teaching had anything to do with his lower than expected mark.

He added: “Responsibility for disparity in thesis marks and expectations should probably be located in the relationship between supervisors and the faculty, particularly in the understanding of what makes a good thesis.”

President of the Oxford University History Society, Piers Armitage, told Cherwell: “It sounds like a sensible change.”

Theses will continue to be double-blind marked, and the Finals Board will use a number of strategies to ensure the views of one examiner do not overly influence the final mark.

Magdalen imposes new alcohol restrictions

Angus Brown
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Magdalen imposes new alcohol restrictions

Magdalen College have introduced new restrictions on alcohol purchases by the JCR, which will mean all alcohol purchases will require the pre-authorisation of the College.

In the new Magdalen JCR budget for 2018/19, the Entz budget has been reduced to £2000 in order to accommodate this new rules change. All alcohol purchases must now be made through the Treasurer with the permission of the College.

These rule changes will bring Magdalen into line with other colleges’ alcohol policies.

When contacted for comment, Toby Morrison, Magdalen JCR’s Treasurer, told Cherwell that the JCR has no official comment on the subject until a meeting of the JCR’s executive can be convened to discuss it.

However, the Magdalen JCR Entz team told Cherwell: “This decision was made without our knowledge or input, and was apparently taken for reasons to do with the use of college funds.”

Issues had been previously raised with alcohol at Magdalen bops after an incident last term.  Though the Entz team described this as “a bit of tomfoolery” in a “light-hearted” bop email, they did subsequently propose and implement a ban on guests from other colleges at Magdalen bops.

In addition to the cuts to the Entz’s teams expenditure, the new budget contains money allocated for a Trans Rep and an OKB Rep alongside substantial increases to the welfare and art budgets.

This article was updated to reflect the fact that the Magdalen JCR Entz team themselves implemented a ban on guests from other colleges at bops.

Graduations delayed as women told to cover up

Eve Webster
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Graduations delayed as women told to cover up

Students have been warned that a failure to follow official sub fusc regulation could lead to “serious inconveniences” and delays.

The reminder comes after some attempted to graduate with what University Proctors considered excessive “flesh” on show, among other infringements on the University’s graduation dress-code.

The email sent to students cited a number of infractions including bare legs or no socks or tights, non-dark footwear, and coloured clothing. 

At this year’s ceremony, some women wearing high-heeled shoes without socks were barred entry to the ceremony until they covered up.

French graduate Eleanor Broome’s ceremony was delayed by fifteen minutes as she “had to run, in full sub fusc and gown, through the crowded streets round the Sheldonian in a desperate search for black socks.”

After eventually finding a pair of tights to wear under her trousers, she was allowed entry to her graduation. 

She told the Telegraph that she thought the regulations to be “so outdated” for not considering women wearing trousers and heels.

She said: “It was a boiling hot July, I didn’t want to wear covered lace up shoes and black socks.

“I did really love my degree and I loved my time at Oxford, but what should have been the happiest day of my life turned into the angriest day of my life.”

On her Facebook page she shared what she called a “provocative photo of my exposed ankles.”

She told Cherwell: “It’s mad [the university] takes it so seriously and won’t allow people to do exams or graduate.”

She added that she has never seen a male student be “told off”.

She also referred to an incident in her Finals during which a female student was threatened with being barred from re-entering the exam room after leaving to go to the toilets without her gown.

Broome told Cherwell: “When we were doing finals, one girl came in, sat down, took off her gown, got up to go to the loo and then when she came back, the exam invigilator said, ‘By rights I don’t have to allow you back in because you are not wearing your gown.'”

In response to her own situation, Broome thanked her friend for who “literally risked not graduating because she wanted to make sure I found some socks” and her mother for “putting up with me in spite of my ankle exposing tendencies.”

Rebecca Morton also had difficulty attending her graduation ceremony as she too was “showing flesh”, according to University officials.

She told the Telegraph that she also saw sexism in the University’s dress code regulations saying they are “designed for a default male student.”

“It is one of the many ways in which the University continues to adhere to a set of archaic regulations that are coded for men.”

In response to these complaints, a spokesperson for the University said: “The note went out to College Deans of Degrees at the start of summer as a reminder of the dress code for degree ceremonies.

“The note was intended to avoid delays to ceremonies, as a courtesy to everyone attending. 

“We are not aware of any significant delays as a result this year.”

Keble students stranded after accommodation cock-up

Fred Dimbleby
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Keble students stranded after accommodation cock-up

Keble College have told second and third year students to “postpone their arrival in Oxford” after a newly built graduate centre was not able to open to students.

The college planned to house 120 graduate students in the newly built multi-million pound H B Allen centre, but have been forced to place them in temporary accommodation because necessary fire safety checks on the building could not be carried out in time.

In an email, seen by Cherwell, the college Warden Jonathan Phillips said that some of the graduates would need to be housed in undergraduate college accommodation, pushing second and third years out of their assigned rooms.

Phillips added: “We have managed to book some hotel accommodation, but this is the busiest week of the year and there are hardly any rooms available.”

The Warden apologised for the failure, which will force second and third year students having to change their travel plans.

He said that students with “a compelling reason” would be able to move in on the previously planned date, but added that “we cannot accept as a compelling reason the fact that the only time you can be brought to College is at the weekend.”

A third year historian at Keble who will be affected by the changes told Cherwell: “Following on from the mind-numbingly stupid decision to renovate Hall during term-time and not the vac, Keble’s latest construction-related announcement adds further to student’s woes.

“Weeks of carefully planned collections revision is now in flux and most importantly, Fresher’s Week, the pinnacle of any second year’s university career, has been totally and spectacularly ruined.”

Students who have been forced to change their move-in date, from the 30th September to the 4th October, will have the four days rent deducted from their termly bill.

Keble College were contacted for comment.

‘No Offence’ and ‘Antinuous: Boy Made God’ at the Ashmolean

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‘No Offence’ and ‘Antinuous: Boy Made God’ at the Ashmolean

Talking through the Ashmolean’s new exhibition on LGBTQ+ histories, No Offence, curator Matthew Winterbottom and Richard B. Parkinson (on whose work the British Museum based this exhibit last year) stress that this is not intended to be an exhibition for gay people. Rather, the opposite: this brilliant exhibition represents another step on the path to reclaiming lost, edited, and hidden LGBTQ+ histories for all to see. For those who think that a gay history means pride flags and radicalism, this exhibition is a must-see: this is a world history still being explored, albeit one unexplored until a few decades ago.

The exhibition first hit the British Museum last year to mark 50 years since the passing of the Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised male homosexuality, and is based largely on Parkinson’s work on A Little Gay History (2013). The success of that (risky) British Museum exhibition has led to similar efforts appearing nationwide, and its arrival in Oxford coincides with several events on LGBTQ+ histories across the city, including a visit from Oscar-winning writer/director James Ivory (Maurice, Call Me By Your Name, Howard’s End). Ivory’s annotated shooting script from Maurice – an Ashmolean exclusive – is certainly a highlight, a reminder of the importance of a happy film released at the height of the AIDS epidemic in Thatcher’s Britain.

The breadth of what is on display is admirable. The ambiguously-gendered Ain Sakhri Lovers – an 11,000 year old sculpture – shares a case with gay liberation badges from the 1960s; artefacts from pre-colonial African, Indian, North American, and Maori collections share space with Roman vases and original David Hockney drawings. The message – of progress, the lack thereof, and the non-linear path to liberation – is conveyed simply and effectively. Those pre-colonial artefacts serve not only to demonstrate the global nature of LGBTQ+ histories, but at the same time give a grim reminder of the power of colonialism to set back societies we would consider open and fluid. There is unfortunately little by way of women’s and lesbian histories on display, though this is, one can imagine, not through lack of trying. The scarcity of female artefacts should say more about historical societies than it does about our curators – if we are to look at hidden histories, we can’t look past the fact that so often women’s history has gone undocumented, let alone that of women who love other women. The curators could have done more to explain the lack of lesbian history, but otherwise No Offence truly is a stellar exhibition.

Accompanying it in the Gallery 8 space at the museum is Antinous: Boy Made God, a collection of antiquities detailing the cult of the supposedly young and beautiful Antinous, a consort of Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd Century CE. The link to No Offence comes in the analysis of Hadrian and Antonius’ relationship. Whilst No Offence is quite explicit in detailing historical gay romances, the curators of Boy Made God have elected to allude to Antinous being homosexual only once, and in no certain terms. Obviously, one cannot say for certain what his relationship with Hadrian was, but since he became something of a proto-gay icon centuries after his death, it is interesting to see this side of Antinous’ story omitted. It is forgone for a focus on the cult of Antinous at the time of his life, where he is represented, in magnificent and sometimes colossal sculptures and busts, as various Greek, Roman, or Egyptian gods. The result is, again, excellent, as Hadrian’s reverence for Antinous is communicated perhaps better than it would be by simply describing those sources who claim their relationship was romantic.The centrepiece comes in the form of a large bust of Antinous found in Syria, sold in 2010 for around $24 million dollars, placing it among the most expensive pieces of antiquity ever sold, but nearby a marble Germanicus bust from Elgin’s collection catches the eye as well.

When taken together, these two exhibitions offer different, yet complimentary approaches to the subject of LGBTQ+ histories. Boy made God is a narrow showcase of antiquities, No Offence is a global, thematic history. Without the latter, it’s possible that one could go through the Antinous exhibition without thinking much of his relationship with Hadrian. But this subtle yet still so effective approach perhaps demonstrates Winterbottom and Parkinson’s point about hidden histories so well. In these two free exhibitions, The Ashmolean has created a brief, yet comprehensive and powerful display of LGBTQ+ histories that will, hopefully, only inspire more of the same in museums across the country.

Fandom: democracy or tyranny?

Molly Chell
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Fandom: democracy or tyranny?

The digital age has revolutionised the way we interact with and talk about our favourite films and TV shows, with the most successful of them becoming cultural phenomenons faster and more widely than ever before. Thanks to fan interaction online, connecting with people who share your interests has never been easier or more socially acceptable, and the widespread adoption of the idea of “fandom” has fundamentally changed the fabric of pop-cultural discourse.

People debate plot lines and character development on Reddit, post GIFs on Tumblr, and search through Pinterest for memes. YouTube enables fans to share their thoughts on the latest blockbuster or mourn the death of a beloved character through “tribute videos”, sometimes cheesy (but often moving) compilations of clips against a mournful soundtrack. And since 1998, the most devoted of fans have spawned thousands of fanfics across a range of fandoms. But fandom today is not solely reliant on the internet to thrive, as fans turn out in their thousands every year to celebrate their favourites at Comic-Cons all over the world – and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a significant fandom that doesn’t have a corresponding society here in our university.

No longer do people simply turn up to a cinema and enjoy a movie. Now, it has become impossible to escape the maelstrom of fan theories, rumours, and news articles that comprise the constantly regenerating pop-culture news machine. This month’s rumour that Henry Cavill may be about to hang up his Superman cape sent the DC fandom into overdrive, despite the lack of substantive proof to underpin the wild speculation. Right on cue, numerous articles appeared listing their ‘top 5’ candidates to take up the popular role.

The fandom-driven discourse around film and TV in our culture can seem overwhelming for the casual cinema goer, but the importance of fandom to the film industry cannot be overstated. If harnessed properly, fandom and niche-interest groups can be hugely lucrative, driving film studios to keep on producing further instalments for long-running franchises. The revenue drawn from franchise giants like Harry Potter is an indicator of the commercial profit in fandom. It now has a staggering worth of $25 billion – a sum that it couldn’t have attained without its strong legion of fans. Studios are often remarkably brazen in their efforts to tap into niche-interest groups in order to boost their profits; many in the industry raised their eyebrows at Disney when, in 2016, they targeted much of their advertising for Zootopia towards furries.

But film and TV fandoms can have a darker side, especially those focused on a particular actor. In their eagerness, fans can fail to respect the right of a star to a private life. Giving fandoms more power has made them much more vocal in their opinions, as everybody now has the forum to make their opinions heard. Fans can also be strangely unforgiving in their appraisal of a performance; in the most extreme cases, actors have been forced to leave social media to escape the hate, with Kelly Marie Tran being a particularly high-profile Twitter-abstainer after the backlash in the Star Wars fandom against The Last Jedi.

The wider effects of a fandom-driven film industry are plain to see in a cinematic landscape saturated with franchises, sequels and reboots that keep series running over many years. Marvel are producing three movies a year, the Jurassic Park series has been rebooted with two new movies in the last couple of years, while the Fantastic Beasts franchise and The Cursed Child ensures that the Harry Potter universe continues to generate revenue even as the story of our favourite boy wizard has reached its clear conclusion. In 2005, it seemed that the story of the Skywalker family had also been brought to a close, but arguably, in recent years the Star Wars franchise has undergone the largest revival. With two new trilogy’s in the works, a number of spinoff movies and numerous TV series, not to mention the new lines of merchandise, the galaxy far far away has travelled much further than George Lucas’ original vision. As a Star Wars fan myself this new content was welcome news, but not so for others. The disappointing box office return from Solo has prompted Disney to scale back their production of Star Wars films in the future.

The fandom drive has lead to criticism that Hollywood is no longer producing enough original content in the industry’s new focus on satisfying the demands of fandoms. But surely with the amount of money that fandom pumps into the industry and the sense of community that fandoms often give to people, the rise of film and TV fandoms can only be a good thing…right?

70% of students only drink to fit in, says NUS survey

Eve Webster
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70% of students only drink to fit in, says NUS survey

70% of students drink alcohol to fit in with their peers, according to findings released by the National Union of Students.

The statistics were collected from 2,215 students in higher education through a survey which, according to the NUS, “explores students’ behaviour towards, attitudes to, and perceptions of alcohol use.”

The survey found that while 20% of participants intentionally get drunk about once a week, 21% say they have never drunk or have stopped drinking.

Key findings also showed that 2% of the survey’s participants say they drink every day, with around a quarter drinking between two and three times a week.

In regards to the perception of drinking at university, 76% of the students participating in the survey believe there is an “expectation for students to drink to get drunk”. 79% participants agreed that drinking and getting drunk is part of university culture.

Almost half of the survey’s participants claimed that prior to starting university they perceived that students spent most of their time getting drunk.

The report also showed a poor awareness of and limited participation in responsible drinking activities and campaigns at universities, with 10% knowing about said programs and only 1% taking part.

In regards to non-drinking activities and events, half of the students surveyed believed that there is a sufficient number of such events at their universities. However, a quarter believed that there ought to be more. 

The authors of the report speculated that financial and academic pressures have reduced the number of student drinkers.

They said: “The National Union of Students believes the pressures now facing students financially, particularly in relation to doing well because they have accrued so much debt is also causing the shift in students’ drinking habits.”

NUS Vice President Eva Crossan Jory stated that although many students are “making active decisions” regarding their alcohol consumption, she remains concerned that excessive alcohol consumption is still considered to have such an important role in university life. 

She wrote: “…The reality for many is that high levels of personal debt and the pressure to do well means many are going out less and studying more.

The cost of living crisis facing students now also means after bills and food it may not be possible for students to spend on other things such as nights out or drinks.”

She encouraged students’ unions to get involved with Alcohol Impact project to “ensure that all students are catered for” and to reduce high-risk behaviour.

Oxford ranked as Britain’s least socially inclusive university

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Oxford ranked as Britain’s least socially inclusive university

Oxford has been ranked as Britain’s least socially inclusive university by The Sunday Times Good University Guide.

In the first university league table to factor in social inclusion, Oxford ranks bottom based on six measures including proportion of working-class, ethnic minority, and mature students.

The new data shows that just one in ten students at Oxford view themselves as working class, and over 60% of students went to a private or grammar school.

16 out of the 24 Russell Group universities were ranked in the bottom 20 of the table for social inclusivity, with St Andrews, Cambridge, Durham and Bristol also in the bottom five.

Despite eight out of ten pupils attending non-selective schools in the UK, only four out of ten students from Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College came from these kinds of schools.

MP David Lammy, who has previously accused Oxford University of “social apartheid”, declared yesterday that many of Britain’s top universities were still “gated communities for the privileged”.

He went on to say: “The new Office for Students should prove it has teeth – by using its powers to fine or cap the fees of those institutions which fail to distinguish between elite and elitist.”

Oxford University said that last year’s intake had more students than ever “from areas with low traditions of going into higher education.”

They said: “We are continually evaluating initiatives to improve diversity on all counts and investing further in approaches that work.”

“An outstanding example is our UNIQ Summer School, which has helped 1,250 students into Oxford since 2012, and which we are now expanding to reach an extra 500 students from target areas every year.”

The Sunday Times Guide ranked Cambridge as number one overall, followed by Oxford, St Andrews, and Imperial College, with Loughborough awarded Sunday Times university of the year.

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