Frederick M. Brown/Getty ImagesGigi Hadid can finally raise a glass of champagne to toast her genetics.
The stunning eldest daughter of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Yolanda Foster and hugely successful real-estate developer Mohamed Hadid is turning 21 today—and we have no doubt that the reality TV daughter turned It Girl will be celebrating in style.
And not least because the "Favorites" section of her contact list is brimming with the rich, famous and so-damn-hot-right-now.
Rather, this young lady just has so much to celebrate. She's always been striking, but in the last year her career absolutely skyrocketed. So in honor of her birthday milestone, let's take a look at how she started out following in her mother's modeling footsteps, hit it big and ultimately became one of the most sought-after faces in the fashion world.
These days, Gigi and a squad that includes Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and Taylor Swift are dominating the Internet, aka the world, but the birthday girl—who boasts 16.4 million Instagram followers—is not new to the spotlight.
In fact, Hadid has been getting used to being front and center since she was 2 years old, when she was discovered by Paul Marciano of Guess. With her unique look (mom Yolanda is Dutch and dad Mohamed is Palestinian), the adorable youngster shot several campaigns for the iconic brand before temporarily quitting modeling to focus on school.
Fifteen years later, Gigi loyally returned to Guess to shoot a campaign that proved mutually beneficial.
Sharing her love and gratitude for Marciano's undying support, Hadid took to Instagram to share a photo from the new campaign, writing, "Going on 15 years as a Guess Girl, this may be my favorite campaign yet! Thank you @paulmarciano for always supporting me and my career, so much love for you and the whole team."
Growing up the daughter of a model and a real-estate mogul comes with certain privileges, such as attending upscale Malibu High School and having the beach as your front and backyards, and she has thanked her upbringing for making her forever comfortable in a swimsuit.
"I grew up in a community where the 'summer body' didn't exist because we're always on the beach. I think it's a great way to live because your beach-ready body should be your healthy one, whatever that means for your different body type," Gigi told Harper's Bazaar U.K. a year ago.
And no surprise, Gigi looked super-ready for summer in this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, another to-do on the supermodel bucket list she had checked off before the age of 21.
Actually, she checked it off when she was 18, having made her debut appearance in the mag in 2014.
"For Sports Illustrated, what's great is they love you the way you are. They pick you for who you are. They don't ask you to change," Gigi told E! News in February. "My first three months in New York is when I first met MJ [Day, SI editor], and I had just gotten out of high school as a really competitive volleyball player, and she loved my body like that."
In 2012, at 17 years old, Gigi began appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills when her mother made her debut on the show. While some at first she was mainly famous as "Yolanda's daughter," Gigi took her inheritance—her genes, that is—and worked her way into her own spotlight.
"I grew up with my horses and playing volleyball on very disciplined teams, and my parents," she told Harper's Bazaar U.K., "although giving us a very blessed life, always taught us the importance of a good work ethic because they both came from very little and worked their ways to success. That's my real childhood, and that's what made me who I am today."
Real Housewives is not the only reality TV Hadid has done, either. The leggy blond also hung with bestie Kendall on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, though that brief appearance couldn't fully communicate the closeness of their bond.
"Kendall's more guarded. I'm more feisty," Hadid talked to British Vogue about her pal. "I don't want to say outgoing, because she is really outgoing once you get to know her. And when we're both having fun, she makes me a lot more spontaneous. It's a good balance. But neither of us likes to stay out past 11."
The two have stood by each other and achieved huge dreams together over the last couple years that have been so huge for both of their careers. And one of those dreams? Walking in the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Talking to E! News in November before hitting the Angel-dotted runway, Gigi shared excitedly, "When we found out we were doing it together, there's nothing else I could ask for except doing it with Kendall. We're just so excited."
"It's so crazy because this is what made me want to be a model," Hadid confessed, talking about her opportunity to walk among the likes of Candice Swanepoel and Adriana Lima. "These are the girls that I looked up to my whole life. To be in it with them and get to see what they're pros at in real life is amazing."
In the same interview, Gigi also gushed about her younger sister and fellow model Bella Hadid. "Growing up, I used to make her watch the show with me," Gigi recalled. "She was bawling-crying when I got a spot. She's so happy for me and so supportive and she's the best."
For her part, Bella has said how nice it is to have Gigi by her side and to not have to navigate the hyper-competitive modeling industry all on her own.
"I feel it's hard to be in a business by yourself," the 19-year old told Entertainment Tonight just last month, "and the fact that I have her with me at all times, I can call her and ask her about things, is so amazing."
The sisters have also given credit to legendary supermodel Naomi Campbell for sprucing up their runway walk with an impromptu tutorial in a hotel hallway.
After breaking up with Cody Simpson in 2015 after about two years of dating, Gigi has since found romance with Zayn Malik, who is rather familiar with living in the public eye. She and the One Direction member turned solo artist even enjoy mixing business with pleasure—Gigi appeared in Zayn's steamy "Pillow Talk" music video earlier this year, and the two are freshly back from Naples after their gorgeous Italian photo shoot with photographer Mario Testino.
Gigi certainly has come a long way, both figuratively and literally (from walking for Balmain to strutting for Rihanna, presumably she's walked hundreds of miles by now!), no doubt about it.
She took to Instagram at the start of 2016 to reflect on her success thus far, posting a collage of her numerous covers: "Unreal. Thinking back on my most favorite moments of this year brings me close to tears—both my career and personal journeys throughout seem so surreal in how each change, turn, and decision guided me to where I am now."
And at 21, she's only just getting started. We can't wait to see what's in store for you, Gigi—happy birthday!