Runway Heirs: Why Are We Seeing More Nepo Babies On The Runway?
The nepo baby. A play on the word ‘nepotism,’ the nepo baby is someone who gains success through their family connections, usually from celebrity parents. From Jamie Lee Curtis to Kate Hudson, nepo babies make up a majority of the recognizable names in Hollywood.
But there's been a shift in course. Nowadays, it seems there's a new model each fashion week making their catwalk debut and it’s yet another child of a celebrity we watched grow up right before our eyes.
How did this trend start and why is it only getting more rampant? Did the glamorous models of today earn their strut on the catwalk or were they handed the torch as a birthright?
But should we be surprised? The ’90s spawned its supermodel cult following, leaving fans possibly more obsessed with what they wore to the grocery store than who they wore on the runway. It was only a matter of time before these bombshells had children of their own, leaving their diehard fans wondering when their children would take the reins on the runway.
Many of the top models of the late 2010s till now, are the daughters of celebrities. Kendall Jenner of the Jenner-Kardashian clan, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, whose mom is supermodel Cindy Crawford, and Hailey Bieber from the Baldwin family are all part of the nepo baby club. And the industry wants more!
Lila Moss, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, made her runway debut in 2020 for Miu Miu, which received lots of criticism online. Her height and unpolished walk drew scrutiny from the public, who came to the conclusion that the popular brand only hired her because of her last name.
Daughter of fashion model and actress, Monica Bellucci and actor Vincent Cassel, the stunning Deva Cassel was sure to grace the runway. Dolce & Gabbana snatched her up at just 14, and she has continued to model while breaking into acting like her father.
At 16, Nicole Kidman’s daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman, made her runway debut for the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2025 show at Paris Fashion Week. Amelia Grey Hamlin, daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, was also present on the Miu Miu catwalk, having made her debut in 2017.
David Beckham’s son, Romeo Beckham, recently stepped away from the soccer world of his dad, and instead is following his mother, Victoria Beckham, to the fashion world. Romeo was seen walking in Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2025 show in style, turning heads and making singer-turned-fashion designer mom proud.
Lennon Gallagher, son of Liam Gallagher, lead singer of Oasis, and British actress and singer, Patsy Kensit, first debuted in the fashion world in 2016. By the start of 2017, he was making his runway debut for Topman Design, with plenty of interest from onlooking brands.
Yet another celebrity offspring to grace the fashion world is Iris Law, daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost. No stranger to the fashion scene, Iris debuted at 15 in a photoshoot for Illustrated People and quickly became a recognizable face modeling for Burberry Beauty, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and more. Not bad for the goddaughter of Kate Moss.
But nepo babies on the catwalk are nothing new, leaving many to believe money talks and DNA walks…the runway. Whether deserving or not, society craves a glimpse at celebrity children and the catwalk provides the perfect spotlight.
When we take a closer look, it’s hard to deny models are chosen for their infamous breeding. As bad as that sounds, can you say it’s not true? Years from now, will you be surprised to hear Justin and Hailey’s child will strut the runway? Or Gigi and Zayn’s?
Brands know the public will gravitate towards the latest stylings of celebrities. Be it a velour tracksuit at the airport or a red carpet gown. And brands want nepo babies and their famous names on their runways to steer the masses.
What better story for a brand to tell than a narrative like Chanel having the iconic Vanessa Paradis in the ‘90s modeling for the brand with daughter Lily-Rose following in her footsteps? Can you say you weren’t drawn in?
Whether they have the walk or not, they have one of the most important things in the fashion world—connections. And with more brands hiring celebrity children, the success of Hollywood nepo babies shows no signs of slowing down.
Who’s your favorite nepo baby? Let us know in the comments!