Celebrity offspring — often tagged online as “nepo babies” — have become a conspicuous presence across the fashion industry in 2025, securing runway slots, advertising contracts and editorial roles that place them at the center of seasonal coverage.
The trend has intensified in recent months as a mix of young models, brand ambassadors and industry insiders with famous parents or grandparents have appeared in marquee moments from New York Fashion Week to global campaign shoots. The increased visibility has provoked debate on social media about access and advantage, even as designers and publishers continue to hire the familiar names.
Apple Martin, 21, the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, announced this week that she will serve as a brand ambassador for the label Self‑Portrait, posting the news via Instagram Reels. The Vanderbilt University student and granddaughter of actress Blythe Danner drew mixed reactions online, including comments labeling the hire as an example of nepotism. Some social‑media responses called the move “Nepo baby. No thank you.”
Romeo Beckham, 23, has been a frequent face for fashion houses this year, appearing in campaigns for Champion and Balenciaga and landing a cover story as VMan magazine’s “Fall’s Most Wanted.” The son of David and Victoria Beckham also fronted Balenciaga’s recent handbag campaign and has been credited with bolstering sportswear and luxury brands’ youth appeal.
Other high‑profile examples span ages and roles. Chloe Malle, 39, the daughter of actress Candice Bergen, was publicly acknowledged this year as Anna Wintour’s successor as editor in chief at Vogue, a move Malle and media outlets framed as an industry appointment that follows a decade of work at the publication. In comments to the New York Times, Malle said she had “100% benefited from the privilege I grew up in,” and added that awareness of that advantage had pushed her to work harder.
The wave includes models and campaign stars who have parlayed family ties into fashion work. Sunday Rose Kidman‑Urban, 17 and the daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, has appeared on the cover of Nylon and walked for Miu Miu. Zaya Wade, 18, the daughter of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, appeared in Miu Miu’s Paris runway show and in a MAC “Born Famous” makeup campaign alongside other celebrity offspring.
Amelia Gray Hamlin and Francesca Scorsese joined Zaya in MAC’s campaign, posing in promotional imagery with their mothers and drawing attention for their familial connections as well as their work. Dean Jagger, the son of model Georgia May Jagger and grandson of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, fronted a Zara Kids campaign with his mother. Luca Cruz Comrie, 13 and the son of Hilary Duff, modeled for Zara Kids over the summer.
Several younger men have also carved visible pathways. Henry Samuel, 19 and the son of Heidi Klum and Seal, made his runway debut at Lena Erziak’s haute couture show in Paris and walked for Kith’s fall 2025 presentation in New York. Holden Fletcher, 21 and the son of actor Brendan Fraser, walked Todd Snyder’s fall show at New York Fashion Week, where Fraser was spotted in the front row. Robert Irwin, 21 and the son of the late Australian naturalist Steve Irwin, starred in an underwear campaign for Bonds.
Ísadóra Bjárkardóttir Barney, 22 and the daughter of musician Björk and artist Matthew Barney, has also been active on the runway, walking in Copenhagen Fashion Week this year. She has pushed back against the nepo label, saying in an interview that while financial support can help, it does not replace personal development in a career.
Design houses and brands have said the decisions to hire well‑known children of celebrities often rest on market considerations: recognizable names can generate press coverage and reach audiences that brands want to court. Editors and casting directors, meanwhile, point to talent, look and the ability of young hires to perform in commercial and editorial environments. Fashion executives and agents have noted that the industry has long relied on a mix of established names and newer faces, and that family connections are one of many factors considered during casting.
Critics of the trend argue it underscores longstanding access disparities in fashion and media, with prominent family ties smoothing paths into competitive roles. Supporters say the younger hires bring fresh perspectives and can amplify a brand’s cultural relevance. Some of the young figures themselves have acknowledged the benefits of their backgrounds while insisting on the need to prove their own abilities.
The prominence of celebrity offspring in 2025 comes as fashion increasingly targets youth demographics, including Gen Z and the emerging Gen Alpha and Gen Beta cohorts, through social media‑driven campaigns and casting choices meant to attract followers. That strategy has made family lineage a marketable attribute for some brands, even as it fuels debate over whether fame should translate into professional opportunity.
As the season progresses, designers, brands and publishers are expected to continue mixing star offspring with established and emergent talent, a combination that has reshaped casting and editorial calendars and will likely shape conversations about access and merit in fashion throughout the coming year.