Can nepo babies save independent brands?

In 2023, there was much talk about the challenges faced by independent brands in asserting themselves in the fashion system. There was also frequent discussion about "nepo babies," the "children of" stars who find their path to success paved from birth. In a strange turn of events, these two seemingly distant worlds came together under the same roof on two different occasions during the last Fashion Week. First at the FW24 show by Luar in New York, with the appearance of Julez Smith Jr. on the runway, bringing aunt Beyoncé and mom Solange to the front row as guests, then in the images of the new campaign by the Parisian brand Enfants Riches Déprimés featuring the model, daughter of Apple's inventor, Eve Jobs. Although the collaboration between nepo babies and independent brands may seem strange, both because the former might prefer more established and affluent brands, and because the latter might choose not to indulge in the unfair mechanisms they believe themselves to be victims of, a unique synergy is formed, advantageous for both parties.

In 2024, collaborations between nepo babies and fashion brands can develop in two different ways, depending on the nature of the brand. Luxury houses can ride the nostalgia wave and call upon the children of former ambassadors, while young or independent brands can "embrace" nepo babies who are trying to make a name for themselves in the industry: Chanel and Saint Laurent famously chose Lily Rose Depp and Zoe Kravitz, daughters of Vanessa Paradis and Lenny Kravitz, as the stars of their beauty campaigns; Chloé, under the new creative direction of Chemena Kamali, invited some of the brand's historical icons and their offspring to sit front row at the FW24 show, including Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger; meanwhile, Amelia Gray, daughter of American actress Lisa Rinna, has kicked off her top model career in style by participating in sixteen shows. It is in collaborations with underground brands that a profitable dynamic emerges: brands can leverage the fame of nepo babies (which would then be that of their parents) to expand their media presence, while the "children of" manage to cultivate a profession in fashion without being despised by an increasingly sensitive public to the nepotism issue. The campaign by Enfants Riches Déprimés with Eve Jobs and the Luar show with Julez Smith Jr. offer interesting insights for brands looking to break through. Indeed, it would be interesting to see a brand like Vitelli or Marco Rambaldi trend on X because they invited Chanel Totti to walk the runway.