By: Natalie Brooks
Some children remember their first runway walk for the applause. Others remember the lights. Seven-year-old Liara Laukien may remember something else entirely.
At Young Fashion Show Miami, she stepped onto the runway twice: first alongside her mother, Kristina Laukien, and then completely on her own.
Backstage, more than two hundred young participants moved between fittings, hair and makeup, rehearsals, and final preparations. Garment racks lined the hallways, parents helped with last-minute details, and the energy of the show built around them. Amid it all, Liara waited for her turn with a calmness that surprised even her mother.
The Woman the Camera Already Knows
For Kristina, being in front of a camera is familiar territory. As a content creator, she has spent years sharing moments of her life with an audience. But when she reflects on Young Fashion Show Miami, she focuses less on the cameras and more on what the experience meant for her daughter.
“Throughout the entire experience, I wasn’t thinking about the audience or the cameras. What mattered most to me was making sure Liara felt confident, supported, and able to enjoy every moment.”
– Kristina Laukien
Mother and daughter prepared together, practiced together, and shared the experience side by side. What stayed with Kristina most was the atmosphere behind the scenes. Rather than feeling competitive, she saw children encouraging one another, making new friends, and celebrating each other’s runway moments.
When Fashion Becomes Something More
Kristina and Liara first appeared together in a Family Look by Mama Luma, a California-based luxury children’s fashion brand. Dressed in coordinated looks, they walked hand in hand in one of the evening’s most personal presentations.
For Kristina, the significance of the moment was simple: she was able to share Liara’s first major runway experience with her rather than only watch from the audience.
The Mama Luma team saw the same confidence in the children taking part.
“One of Mama Luma’s core values is helping children recognize their self-worth and feel confident through our designs. Seeing the children walk the runway with such confidence was incredibly meaningful for us. The Family Look presentation beautifully reflected the spirit of our brand.”
– Mama Luma
Then She Walked Alone
The Family Look, however, was only Liara’s first appearance of the evening.
Her second walk was for Mini Me and Mama, and this time she stepped onto the runway alone. With the lights ahead, a full audience watching, and no parent beside her, Liara took the first step without hesitation.
“I felt like a real model. I was very confident and knew people were cheering for me. Taking that first step felt like an energy field running through my whole body. I just enjoyed every second of it.”
– Liara Laukien
For a seven-year-old making her solo runway debut, the moment could easily have felt intimidating. Instead, Liara treated it as something she was ready to experience. She later said there was very little she would change about the evening, including the dress she wore.
Mini Me and Mama is a European-style boutique offering elegant clothing for newborns, children, and adults, with a focus on luxury European outfits for special occasions. Liara completed her first solo runway walk in one of the boutique’s looks.
“Watching Liara on the runway was a truly special moment for our team. What stood out most was not only how beautiful she looked in our design, but the confidence and joy she brought to the stage. We believe children’s fashion should help young girls feel comfortable, confident, and free to express themselves, and Liara embodied that spirit perfectly.”
– Mini Me and Mama
Confidence That Grows Through Experience
Kristina believes part of Liara’s confidence has always been natural, but she also sees how strongly environment can shape a child’s willingness to try something new. Support, trust, and the freedom to explore what genuinely excites them can make the difference between simply participating and truly enjoying the experience.
That is why one moment remains especially clear for her: watching Liara step onto the runway alone.
“I saw her differently. Not simply as my daughter, but as a young person discovering her own strength. What inspired me most wasn’t the absence of fear. It was the way she moved through a new experience with joy, openness, and trust in herself.”
– Kristina Laukien
For Liara, Miami became more than a first fashion show. In one evening, she experienced the runway in two completely different ways: first as part of a shared mother-daughter moment, then independently.
For Kristina, the most meaningful part was seeing that transition happen in real time. The runway walks lasted only a few minutes, but they gave her the chance to watch her daughter discover that she could step forward, stand on her own, and enjoy the moment.
Sometimes the most lasting result of a child’s first stage experience is not the applause or the photographs. It is the confidence that remains after the lights go down.
Young Fashion Show will next return to Chicago with a special Christmas-themed edition, bringing the runway experience into a festive holiday setting. Applications are now open.
For more information, visit www.youngfashionshow.com or follow @young.fashion.show on Instagram.
