Natalia Bryant might’ve just had her runway debut, but she was always destined for fashion. “My mom says, ‘Walk like Naomi but remember to be yourself,'” the oldest daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant told Vogue prior to her first show. “‘Put your own style to your walk and always with your head held high.'” In fact, it’s partially thanks to her mom that Bryant decided to pursue modeling in the first place, signing with IMG Models in 2021 and joining a crew of talent like Ashley Graham and Gigi Hadid at the agency. Fast-forward to this year’s Milan Fashion Week, and she’s already walking alongside celebrities and industry icons like Kendall Jenner and Claudia Schiffer for Versace’s spring show.
Leading up to her first catwalk, Bryant introduced herself to the fashion world with a series of heavy-hitting projects, earning her stripes before ever stepping foot on a runway. In early September, she appeared in UGG’s new autumn campaign, joining model Aweng Chuol and rapper A$AP Nast. In 2021, she took time out of her freshman year at USC to grace the September cover of Teen Vogue, later attending the Met Gala in a sequin Connor Ives dress. She flexed more of her personal style at Vanity Fair’s 2023 Oscars afterparty, wearing a black velvet Monsoori gown with floor-length sleeves, and showing more love to Versace with a zebra-print midi dress in March.
“Versace does such a great job at making women feel empowered and strong. At the show, there was this electric energy and everyone was so sweet and inspirational,” she told The Zoe Report in March, seemingly unaware that she’d be walking for Versace herself in just a few short months.
In anticipation of her runway debut, Bryant asked a few of her fellow models if they had any helpful advice, sharing the answers on Vogue’s Instagram. “Just try to take in the moment and let yourself remember it,” Hadid responded before embracing Bryant backstage and expressing her pride.
Bryant’s mom – the woman who started it all – also shared her excitement following her daughter’s first runway. “I’m so proud of you! You did it mama,” she wrote on Instagram. And if the past two years serve as any indication, she’s only just getting started.
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