March 12, 2026 |
Lena Mantler steps out for an early morning walk, coffee in hand. But for once, as the city buzzes around her, the German social media star is not being filmed; no version of her is captured or recorded. After years in which her image has been incessantly circulated – doubled, mirrored, reproduced – the ordinariness of this moment feels almost intentional.
Mantler’s public life began early and all at once. As a teenager, the Stuttgart native became globally recognisable alongside her identical twin sister. The then-14-year-olds began posting fun dance videos on musical.ly as the duo Lisa and Lena. Their first video went viral, garnering millions of followers. “We never really realised what was happening,” Mantler says. The image was clear; the people behind it perhaps less so.
Twins are often read as symmetry. And online, that symmetry becomes a shortcut: the same face, the same framing, the same rhythm – instantly recognisable, endlessly repeated. Growing up inside that loop meant being constantly seen, while rarely being singular.
right: jacket, skirt and shirt by GIVENCHY BY SARAH BURTON
Over time, that perception shaped how Lena saw herself. “I started comparing myself with my sister,” she says. “People see twins and they think they’re 100 per cent alike. But not us.” They were a puzzle match: similar in appearance, different in temperament.
For a long time, there was no urgency for her to articulate that difference. Their work was collaborative and the momentum behind it collectively shared. Their creative offering was playful, instinctive and focused on making people smile.
Reflection came later, as the siblings differing interests grew. Lisa’s focus was hosting and moderation, while Mantler’s priority lay in the worlds of photography and modelling.
from left: LOUIS VUITTON and MIU MIU
The decision to separate paths was gradual and quiet. There was no rupture, no public statement: it came naturally with age. “We started to realise that we’re both grown up now,” she says. “What followed was space. For the first time, there was no mirrored presence, no shared authorship.”
That space brought a new-found freedom and, with that, doubt. In an act of sisterly generosity, Lisa gifted their Instagram account, which has more than 20 million followers, to her sibling. For Mantler, the fresh solo focus meant confronting questions she had never needed to ask before. “I wasn’t really sure if I was going to be good enough alone or what my strength would be,” she says, before adding wryly, “I’m still not done yet.”
from left: PROENZA SCHOULER and PRADA
The uncertainty was practical as much as personal. For the first time, her name carried the work on its own. The response surprised her: the audience stayed, the brands stayed and the support continued. She became more than a social personality: she was now a model with a distinct look and cultural currency. “They saw so much potential in a time where I couldn’t see any,” she says, with obvious gratitude.
As her confidence grew, the work she was doing changed. The content became quieter, less driven by immediacy. “It happened naturally over time,” she says. For her, growing up meant slowing down, while still remaining visible.
This outlook has informed her work with her own streetwear label, Mánt. She develops clothing away from seasonal pressure and without a fixed rhythm of release. The pieces are restrained, built around form and wearability. Heavy, washed-grey hoodies that wrap you in comfort and coolness. Denim sets designed to make you look instantly put-together. A characteristic beanie in a chessboard pattern. The logos are quietly placed, while the garment silhouettes are adjusted, removed and refined as the collection evolves.
DIOR
Although an intentional calm guides her work, Mantler’s burgeoning modelling career places her firmly within fashion’s faster circuits. Her entry onto the runway was swift and assured, marked by appearances for houses such as Miu Miu, Lacoste and Hugo Boss, a trajectory that reflects the industry’s confidence in her.
However, the seeming duality in these two avenues feels natural to the young creative. Modelling doesn’t pull her away from her own practice – on the contrary, it complements it. On the runway, she brings the same restraint that defines her design work: a sense of measure, of knowing when enough is enough.
For someone with global fame at such a young age (Mantler is still just 23 years old), it’s understandable that self-doubt and uncertainty may creep in. She makes sure to ground herself in reality with things she holds dear. “My faith helps me, for sure,” she says. That religious belief provides a much-needed balance away from public scrutiny, but she also prioritises everyday things: hanging out with people close to her, going skating, taking walks… even something as simple as a coffee break.
from left: CHLOE and BALENCIAGA
Mantler sometimes has to remind herself of her age and how her life accelerated early, shaped by visibility before it was shaped by choice. For her, what has changed is not her presence, but her relationship to it, understanding the space between her public and private personas.
Today, meaning comes from smaller decisions: what she builds, where she places herself and when she chooses to sit behind the camera, instead of in front of it. She no longer fills the frame by default. There is no final version of herself that she is working toward. There’s only a growing determination on how she wants to be seen and, more importantly, how often. The platform that once multiplied her image at such a formative age has given way to something quieter, more self-assured. A single figure, moving at her own pace, no longer required to mirror anyone else.
10 Magazine Issue 76 – CREATIVITY, CHANGE, FREEDOM – is out on newsstands March 18. Pre-order your copy here.
FACE VALUE
Photographer ARSENY JABIEV
Fashion Editor CAROLINA ORRICO
Talent LENA MANTLER
Text BENJAMIN SCHIFFER
Hair KABUTO OKUZAWA using ORIBE Hair Care
Make-up ALEX LEVY using M.A.C COSMETICS
Photographer’s assistant NANA ABULIDZE
Fashion assistants EDGAR LOPEZ and ANDREA MENASSE
Casting CLARE RHODES at Casting By Us
Production NEIGHBORS
Special thanks to Elite Model Management NYC and Huron Studios
EMMA FOLEY
