Vivian Jenna Wilson, the eldest child of billionaire Elon Musk, walked the runway at the CHRISHABANA show during New York Fashion Week on Monday, wearing an intricate metallic gown constructed from rows of silver safety pins and small chain links.
The 21-year-old, who made her catwalk debut the previous day at an Alexis Bittar presentation, appeared confident as she closed the CHRISHABANA presentation in pointed white heels and claw-like rings. Her earlier appearance at the Abrons Theater featured a bright red dress and a purple sash reading "Miss South Carolina," part of designer Alexis Bittar's stated concept for the show.
Bittar described the SS26 presentation on Instagram as "MISS USA 1991: a dream sequence," saying the show explored themes of misogyny, unchecked predators, objectification and trans rights and drew inspiration from films such as Blue Velvet, Carrie and The Virgin Suicides. Wilson posted an Instagram photo after the CHRISHABANA show, writing, "First fw show done, very slay."
Wilson has spoken publicly about her life since she legally changed her name and gender in 2022 and severed ties with her father. In an interview, she said she does not have access to large sums of money from Musk and lives with roommates in Los Angeles. "People assume I have a lot of money. I don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars at my disposal," she said, adding that she had "some expendable income" but was considering community college because of the cost of higher education.
She told interviewers she has been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and that she struggled socially at a private high school she described as being "filled with nepo babies." Wilson adopted the surname of her mother, Justine Wilson, after filing to change her name and gender.
The runway appearances and comments come amid a widely publicized rift between Wilson and Elon Musk that surfaced after her transition. Musk has criticized the family's handling of the situation in public remarks while campaigning in recent years, and called his attempts to reconnect unsuccessful. In 2022, after Wilson filed to change her gender and surname shortly after turning 18, she referred to her father on social media as a "pathetic man-child." Musk has said he was misled about certain documents and has voiced concern about family matters in interviews.
Wilson was born in 2004 as one of twins to Musk and his first wife, Justine, and is one of several children Musk has had. Observers have noted the high-profile nature of the family dispute given Musk's status as a public figure and his alignment in recent years with conservative political figures.
Wilson's consecutive New York Fashion Week appearances mark a further step into public life and the fashion world. She and designers involved in the presentations framed the shows as creative statements addressing gender, power and representation while Wilson continues to speak about her personal and financial independence from her father.