Vivian Wilson, the transgender daughter of billionaire Elon Musk, made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week on Friday, walking in a presentation by designer Alexis Bittar as she remains publicly estranged from her father.
Wilson, 21, appeared at the Abrons Theater on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in a bright red dress with a purple sash reading “Miss South Carolina.” Bittar described the show on Instagram as a SS26 presentation with a concept he summarized as “MISS USA 1991: a dream sequence, it is a story about misogyny, unchecked predators, objectification and trans rights,” and said the collection drew inspiration from films including Blue Velvet, Carrie and The Virgin Suicides.
Wilson spoke briefly about the experience for Bittar’s Instagram account and later posted an Instagram photo that read, “First fw show done, very slay.” The appearance is among her first public steps into modeling and the fashion world since she and her father became publicly estranged following her transition.
The rift between Wilson and Musk dates to 2022, after she publicly sought to change her gender and surname. In statements since then, she has criticized her father and at times used sharp language to describe their relationship. Wilson has said she does not have a close relationship with Musk and has pushed back against comments he has made about her transition.
Musk, who has become politically outspoken in recent years, drew backlash after saying during campaign appearances for conservative politicians that one of his children had been “killed by the woke mind virus.” Wilson responded on social media to remind him she was alive. Musk has also described the family dispute to a biographer, saying he has made efforts to reconcile but that she “doesn’t want to spend time with me.”
Wilson has discussed aspects of her life in Los Angeles in an interview with The Cut, saying she does not have access to the kind of wealth typically associated with her father and lives with roommates to afford rent. She said she is considering whether to enroll in community college and noted an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. "People assume I have a lot of money. I don't have hundreds of thousands of dollars at my disposal," she told the publication.
The public tensions over Wilson’s transition and Musk’s subsequent remarks have been followed closely by media outlets and the public, in part because of Musk’s prominence as the CEO of multiple technology companies and his place among the world’s wealthiest individuals. Musk’s net worth is estimated at about $413 billion.
Wilson is one of Musk’s children from his first marriage to author Justine Wilson. She was born in 2004 and is a twin; she now uses her mother’s maiden name. She has described her upbringing and education in interviews, saying she struggled socially at a private high school she characterized as populated by “nepo babies” and that she did not have many friends there.
Bittar’s presentation, in which Wilson walked, framed its narrative in terms of surrealism and social critique. The designer thanked Wilson on Instagram for “trusting me” and noted that the show honored her with the role of “Miss South Carolina.” The appearance comes as Wilson has begun to assert a public identity in fashion and media separate from her family’s wealth and notoriety.
Representatives for Wilson and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The fashion week appearance and Wilson’s recent interviews underscore continuing public interest in the family’s dynamics and the ways in which members of high-profile families navigate personal identity and public life.