When I first jumped on this pitch, I actually had to have a serious think about what my opinion on nepotism really was, especially as I work quite a bit in the fashion industry – where the general attitude towards so-called ÔÇ£nepo-babiesÔÇØ is so negative.
The unfairness of individuals succeeding in a highly competitive industry because they are the child or close relative of someone who has already made it in fashion, whether as a model or a fashion designer, has been one of the most hot topics for debate since Stella McCartney first rose to fame under the shadow of her legendary father in 1995. Some of the world’s most infamous models are nepo-babies, including the likes of Damien Hurley, Kaia Gerber, Lila Moss, and Kendall Jenner, and it can be very easy to adopt the same viewpoint as the general population by arguing that the offspring of famous fashion designers or models have grown up surrounded by the spotlight of these idols and have only been successful in their careers because of this.
Nepotism is as much on the runway as it is behind the scenes at designer labels, but only because fashion, like any other industry, is based around luck and connections. As well as being blessed with connections and privilege, these children are also very popular with brands just because of their famous parentage, as celebrity endorsement increases consumer sales and status.
ThereÔÇÖs no denying the influence that having famous parents and relatives can have for those breaking into the fashion world. These people have no shortage of exposure, which is vital in an industry where exposure is one of the keys to success. Some might also argue that this privilege means the eradication of diversity and new talent, with the market so saturated by one demographic; and that nepo-babies like Kaia Gerber and Delphine Arnault have no real talent.
However, why are we so quick to dismiss our own judgement? As surely whether a person’s career takes off is, in part, decided by the public eye. In this case, I believe that if these nepo-babies didnÔÇÖt have talent of some measure, then they would quickly fall out of favour in one area and just switch to another specialism to achieve stardom.
To succeed in the fashion world you need to have four things – luck, connections, talent, and a hefty sprinkling of determination- and having connections is definitely part of the luck side of things. So maybe we just canÔÇÖt bear that these nepo-fashionistas got lucky, and jealousy is the real reason behind the nepotism shaming. After all, if you had the connections to catapult yourself into your dream career, why wouldnÔÇÖt you use them?
So I eventually came to the conclusion that it is probably most likely the more unpopular opinion of those available: nepotism is completely ok, justified, and if anything, a category we would all fall into if we got the chance.
Words By: Rhiannon James
