Who are the Italian Nepo Babies

Hadid, McCartney, Beckham, Gallagher, Jagger, Depp, Cobain, Jenner, Richie, Richards, Baldwin, Law, Crawford, Moss: nepotism is certainly not a new concept in show business. They are called Nepo Babies, a term created to refer to the so-called Daddy's Children, those who have not only inherited the last name and a lucrative bank account from their famous parents but have also benefited from success and all the advantages that come from already having friends or relatives in the entertainment business. In the fashion industry, these benefits mean millions of followers on social media, a front-row seat at fashion weeks around the world, and appearances in numerous high-profile campaigns and commercials - all things that the "children of no one" have to toil for years and for much less money. From the social controversy between Vittoria Ceretti and Lily-Rose Depp to the New York Times cover that photoshopped the heads of It girls onto baby bodies, the media can not avoid talking about the Nepo Babies, adding to their success. But if in the past the spotlight was on Hollywood, where ostentation is part of the trend, in Italy we had to be patient before the 'family business' surfaced.

As Giuliana Matarrese noted on her Instagram Stories, the face of Dior's new 'it' bag, Lady 9522, is not known at all, but the same can not be said for her heir. We are talking about Rachele Regini, recently an ambassador for the LVMH house and daughter of the creative director of womenswear, Maria Grazia Chiuri. The minimal shots Brigitte Lacombe took off her stunned connoisseurs of the house who are used to far more famous faces for campaigns of this kind, from Natalie Portman and Charlize Theron to newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy. Regini's only link to fame is her degree in art history at the prestigious Goldsmiths, her role as a 'cultural advisor' (although it's not clear exactly what that means) for Maison Dior, and her contribution to the creation of the looks Chiara Ferragni wore at the recent Sanremo Festival. It remains to be seen to what extent all this would have been possible without the blessing of Maria Chiara. At Valentino, the children of creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli are also on the rise. Among the stars of Valentino Beauty, we find the face of Benedetta Piccioli, born in '97 and model for Women Management Milano from December 2021. Among the few interviews she has given, her statements to Tag24, the newspaper of a Roman university, are particularly telling: «Everyone has the right to be valued, to feel better about their body and identity and, above all, to feel represented» says Benedetta, perhaps naively overlooking the fact that when she herself appears on the cover, it is certainly not thanks to a process of democratization of fashion, which has seemed more 'exclusionary' than ever in terms of representation in recent seasons, but to her surname.

Nepotism has always existed, but gone are the good old days when famous kids were forced to change their surname to prove themselves, as was the case with Angelina Jolie. Instead, the new generation proudly wears the mantle of privilege, and never before have so many children of famous parents been so rewarded for their lineage and been so willing to display it publicly. Would they have been so successful without the benefits of an illustrious surname? That is difficult to answer.