Kendall Jenner felt "intimidated" by Gigi Hadid before they became friends.
The pair both grew up in California and went to different schools but they got to know each other through mutual friends and Gigi's youngster sister Bella Hadid - and Kendall admits she had "acne and braces" at the time and was initially overawed by Gigi's good looks.
In a joint interview, Kendall told Vogue magazine: "I remember I was intimidated by you. I was like: 'She’s so gorgeous'. And I remember you posted this photo with your long blond mane. I think it was a black-and-white photo ...
"It went viral on Tumblr ... I had acne and braces and I remember seeing this photo and being like: 'What the f***?'"
However, Gigi, 30, insisted she was also an "awkward" youngster.
The pair later started hanging out together and then found themselves working together when they started out in the modelling industry around the same time and they have since become close friends.
Kendall, 29, said of their relationship: "We’re sisters more than we’re friends," while Gigi added: "I think of so many of the quiet moments that no one sees.
"And so much that isn’t shared online. People don’t know a lot of the ways that we’re similar and the ways we find peace in each other."
Gigi previously opened up about her career and admitted she can be a "people-pleaser" but she learnt to be more "assertive" after launching her own fashion brand, Guest In Residence, back in 2022.
She told Net-a-Porter: "When I design, I don’t just think about myself as this flashy public figure that everyone sees, because that’s not what I am most of the time.
"I borrow a lot of those glamourous, amazing things that I wear; I rarely get to keep them. What my wardrobe is, and why I started a company like this, is what I know well and love: it’s all about classic basics – and making those fun."
Gigi added: "I think I learnt a lot about myself in terms of, I can be a bit of a people-pleaser.
"I have learnt a lot about being assertive, which doesn’t make you a b**** …
"As long as you do what comes naturally, which is not to be rude, you can say how you feel – and sometimes you have to do that to get things done in time." Gigi also declared she is determined to have fun in her work life. She shared: "I want to do things that are new and feel exciting; where everyone is going to leave feeling fulfilled and that they did something fun that day."
