At just 16, Kai Schreiber is confidently stepping into the fashion world and proudly embracing her identity as a young transgender woman.
The daughter of Hollywood actors Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts recently spoke to ‘Interview’ magazine, sharing her dreams, challenges, and inspirations in a refreshingly honest conversation.
Kai, who made a stunning debut at Paris Fashion Week this year, didn’t hold back when talking about her ambitions.
“I want to be a supermodel. Period,” she said, making it clear that this is not just a passing phase—it’s something she has worked towards for years.
In fact, she revealed that she’s been practicing her runway walk at home for as long as she can remember. “My mom can show you all the videos I forced her to film,” she added with a laugh.
Her love for fashion and her desire to be seen as glamorous and powerful goes back to her childhood. Kai Schreiber confessed that, early on, she dreamed of being “a beautiful, glamorous, influential woman, like Marilyn Monroe.”
Growing up while navigating gender identity only deepened that longing for self-expression and confidence.
What’s especially moving is how much Kai values community. She spoke about the importance of connecting with other transgender individuals in the fashion industry.
“It’s so great that there’s a strong community of us in the fashion world; it’s really a doll takeover,” she said proudly. “It’s important to all of us to have a sense of community, especially when we’re under such hostile attack.”
Kai looks up to trailblazers like Hari Nef, known for her role in ‘Transparent’, and ‘Euphoria’ star Hunter Schafer—both of whom have paved the way for more trans visibility in fashion and media.
“I’m always going to look up to the older generation of transgender people, especially in fashion,” she shared.
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This is the first time Kai has publicly spoken about her gender identity in an interview, although she’s been making waves in the fashion scene for several months. After walking for Valentino at Paris Fashion Week in March, she also appeared in one of the brand’s ad campaigns.
Her father, actor Liev Schreiber, recently spoke about Kai’s journey in a candid conversation with ‘Variety’. He recalled the moment Kai asked him and Naomi Watts to start using her chosen pronouns as a deeply meaningful experience.
“Kai is such a fighter,” he said with pride. “It’s important that she says, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and, ‘Look at me,’ and, ‘F*** you. F*** off.’”
When asked what advice he would offer to other parents whose children may be exploring their gender identity, Liev chose a thoughtful, non-prescriptive approach. “I don’t know the answer for your kid,” he said.
“Don’t know what it’s like for you to be a trans dad. I don’t know how you were brought up, or what religion you encountered, or what your spirituality is. For me to tell you what I think about my kid feels like an overstep.”
Liev shares two children with Naomi Watts—Kai Schreiber and their son Sasha, now 17. The former couple were together from 2005 to 2016. In 2023, Liev married Taylor Neisen, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Hazel Bee.