Heidi Klum and Daughter Leni Respond to Lingerie Backlash in Matching Knitwear for Intimissimi Campaign

Despite backlash that their joint lingerie shoots were ‘inappropriate,’ Heidi Klum and her daughter Leni have silenced the critics by posing for a new campaign with the beloved underwear brand Intimissimi.

The model, 52, previously hit back at criticism towards her joint shoots with her daughter, 21, insisting she’s ‘proud’ they get to pose together.

In their latest ad, which was posted on Leni’s Instagram, she and Heidi were dressed in matching cashmere knitwear.

The pair showed off their incredible figures while appearing in the video together, with Heidi dressed in a pale cream jumper while Leni opted for a dark brown shade.

Leni captioned the Instagram post: ‘I live in these super soft and cosy @intimissimi shirts! My new campaign with my mom @heidiklum for the iconic Ultralight with Cashmere shirts!’ 

Heidi and Leni sparked backlash when they posed for a string of lingerie campaigns together earlier this year, with some branding the images ‘inappropriate’ or ‘weird.’

But the Project Runway star has hit back at the criticism, telling People: ‘A lot of people are like, “Oh, I don’t know about mom and daughter doing this together.”‘

‘But for us? I’m proud of my daughter. She’s fine with me like that.’

Heidi also made it clear that body confidence runs in the family, noting that she’s always been comfortable in her own skin. 

‘I’ve always been very open with my body,’ she added. 

‘When I’m suntanning in the backyard, I might not have a top on. I’m European… my kids don’t know me any other way.’

While some critics have labeled the mother-daughter shoots as ‘inappropriate’, Heidi says her family simply doesn’t view nudity through a hypersexualized lens.

In fact, she believes that openness has helped her children become more self-assured.

Heidi and Leni have fronted several campaigns together, including a lingerie basics collection earlier this year and a cosy cashmere shoot in 2023 that also featured Heidi’s mother, 80-year-old Erna Klum. 

The trio wore long-sleeved sweaters in a rare three-generational fashion moment.

Leni, Heidi’s daughter with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, was adopted by Seal during his marriage to Heidi. 

Although Leni was offered modeling gigs throughout her childhood, Heidi held off on allowing her to enter the industry until she felt her daughter was ready. 

Leni officially began modeling in 2020.

Heidi’s decision to wait until Leni was ‘old enough’ was rooted in her desire to protect her daughter from the pressures of fame – though clearly, Leni has since caught the modeling bug.

In a March interview with Vogue Germany, Leni shared her own thoughts on the criticism. 

‘I always try to remember that no matter what you do, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it,’ she said. 

‘You simply have no control over it, and you can’t focus too much on the negative.’

Leni, now a student at New York University, added that the hate is often easier to brush off than people might expect. 

‘Most of the comments are in German, and I don’t really understand many of them,’ she joked. 

‘That helps too, of course.’

Meanwhile, it’s not just Leni following in her mom’s fashionable footsteps. 

Heidi’s son Henry, 19, made his runway debut at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, signaling that the Klum family modeling dynasty may only be getting started.