( CNN ) -- All eyes shifted toward the beginning of the runway when a dark-haired model strutted out in a star-spangled red bikini to a fusillade of flashbulbs at Tommy Hilfiger 's New York Fashion Week show on Monday . She fit right in at nearly 5'11 '' tall with a svelte frame . But despite adhering to the anonymous runway model aesthetic , Kendall Jenner tends to stand out . She 's on a first-name basis with millions . Just look at her stats : On Facebook , she has almost 7 million followers ; on Twitter , 8.75 million ; and on Instagram , a whopping 13.3 million . The teen , who appears alongside her paparazzi-favorite family in `` Keeping Up with Kardashians , '' is trying to find her own footing in the high-fashion world without her polarizing siblings and parents . `` You just do n't know how ( casting directors ) are going to react to it . It could be like 'Oh , just another reality TV star coming in , trying to be something , ' `` Jenner said . `` This is what I want to do . ... This is my career . This is what I wanted to be . '' During this New York Fashion Week , which ends Thursday , Jenner has made enviable strides by modeling for Donna Karan , Tommy Hilfiger and Diane von Furstenberg . In von Furstenberg 's show , she walked behind legendary supermodel Naomi Campbell and Victoria 's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel , both of whom Jenner says she looks up to . The 18-year-old is on the cover of the September issue of Teen Vogue and appears in the fashion-heavy September issue of its high-end counterpart , Vogue . This year , she walked for high-fashion brands overseas like Chanel , Giles and Givenchy . `` When I started , I had no idea how this was going to turn out , '' she said . `` It 's still so surreal that I 've walked in shows like Givenchy and Chanel . It 's ridiculous . '' Like anything Kardashian-related , Jenner 's presence in this world has not come without controversy : Where models are dodging street style photographers , she 's dodging paparazzi and hit pieces in the media about the distraction her presence brings . Compared with some of her high-fashion counterparts who can walk upwards of 20 runways during the weeklong event before heading to London , Paris and Milan , Jenner is still a fledgling in her second season , with three shows thus far . Despite it all , her name does garner press . See all of CNN Living 's New York Fashion Week coverage . Before Fashion Week started , she decided to omit her last name from her casting card , which is sent out to runway suitors from her agency , The Society Management . `` I just felt like I did n't want a last name to help me in any way , '' Jenner said , making it clear that the decision is not a slight to her family . `` Whenever I went into a casting , I did n't need any special treatment . '' But , to play the devil-in-Prada 's advocate , she also credits growing up in front of a lens with helping her improve her modeling skills . Her mother , Kris Jenner , is a business manager and executive producer for her family 's show , and her father is Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner . `` Whether it was a big TV camera or a little picture camera , I feel like I 've always been in front of a camera , '' Jenner said . Modeling is an easy transition , she says , and something she 's wanted to do since she was a young girl . In her Fashion Week debut in February , she made a splash with a chest-baring look for Marc Jacobs , which Jenner describes as a `` 'hello world ' kind of moment . '' It 's a far cry from the shy child she used to be . `` When I was a kid , I could n't have a slumber party for one night without crying myself to sleep and telling my dad to pick me up at 10 o'clock at night , '' Jenner said . Given her exposure , it 's easy to forget she 's a California girl , straight out of high school . `` I was so terrified to get in a cab the first time I was here , '' Jenner admitted . As for what 's coming up for the ingenue , Jenner shares two words familiar to any TV watcher : `` Stay tuned . ''
Kendall Jenner has been dubbed a model to watch in the fashion world . She first gained attention via her family 's reality show `` Keeping Up with Kardashians '' `` I feel like I 've always been in front of a camera , '' she says . Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: