Nepotism’s “It-Girl” Models: A Critique of Today’s Modeling Industry

Today’s so-called “it girls,” like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Hailey Bieber, are some of the world’s most famous models. While they do have beautiful faces and sculpted bodies; they have cashed in their privilege, wealth, and status to dominate the fashion industry. Nepotism is entrenched in every industry, but the way these models are exclusively booked is problematic. 

Many of these top models have benefited from being celebrities before becoming models. Kendall Jenner gained fame through her family’s names “Kardashian,” and “Jenner” as well as repeated exposure on the show “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” Gigi Hadid, and her sister Bella Hadid, are daughters of Yolanda Hadid, a successful model during the 80s and their family appears on the television show “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” And Hailey Bieber, whose surname and connection to the Kardashians has fast-tracked her to success in the industry. These girls have dominated runways, magazine covers, ad campaigns, and commercials with ease, while lesser-known models with just as much beauty and talent are being overlooked in an industry that is supposed to uplift beauty and uniqueness. Without the personal connections that the top-models have, they struggle to find the same opportunities. 

The industry was not always controlled by nepotism babies.  In the 90s, “The Big Six” supermodels transformed the fashion industry through their vibrant personalities and undeniable talent. Even if fashion is not your forte, you have heard of the infamous six, made up of: Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Claudia Schiffer.  

These women are referred to as the “original supermodels” and are certainly deserving of the title. Naomi Campbell was studying ballet in London at fifteen and was discovered by a modeling scout who spotted her while out window shopping. She went on to become a leading figure of “The Big Six,” and has graced the cover of more than five hundred magazines, and has been featured in campaigns for Burberry, Prada, Versace, Chanel, Valentino, and more. Modeling was her domain, and she has expressed concerns following this new age of “Insta-models,” (models with a large following on social media). At the Meredith Vierra show in 2015, Campbell was asked about the new era of nepotism models. She simply said, “I just feel my generation of women, like Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia [Schiffer], we had to earn our stripes and take our stepping-stones to get to where we have gotten.”  

Like Naomi, the remaining five were also scouted. Kate Moss was only fourteen when she was discovered at JFK airport after a family vacation. After years of unpaid work for English magazines she was picked up for a huge Calvin Klein campaign and the rest was history. She launched a new era of modeling with her more natural look and slim build, contrasting the more curvaceous and glam models that were popular at that time. Schiffer was discovered at a nightclub in Germany. Crawford was photographed by a local photographer in Illinois which landed her first cover. Turlington was brought to fame by a photograph of her on a horse, and Evangelina was scouted at a beauty pageant. The Big Six and others of their generation got discovered and quickly worked their way up, unlike the household names of this generation’s models. 

When Kendall Jenner surpassed Giselle Bündchen as the year’s highest-earning model, the torch was passed from the old generation to the new. Jenner’s success marks the end of earning the title “Supermodel” by working their way out of obscurity. Her takeover sparked controversy, as Jenner has had an unconventional approach to modeling. In the industry, it is common for models to work long-hour photoshoots and walk for dozens of shows during fashion week, things that Jenner, herself, has said she does not do. In her interview with LOVE magazine, she speaks on her modeling experience, “Since the beginning, we’ve [her and managing team] been super selective about what shows I would do […] I was never one of those girls who would do like thirty shows a season or whatever the fuck those girls do.” This comment did not sit well within the modeling world, and many pointed to Jenner’s obvious privilege of being so selective. Daria Strokous, a Russian model, took to Instagram to point out Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn, Coco Rocha, Natasha Poly, and countless other models who continued to walk as many shows as possible even after climbing to the top of the profession. “Whatever the fuck those girls do’ is do their very best to make their way […] Oh, and it’s seventy shows a season by the way and we are all fucking proud of every single one of the girls that did it,” wrote Strokous. Sarah Brannon, another model to speak out against Jenner, says “Those girls […] make exponentially less for the same jobs as you and don’t have the opportunity to refuse work.” Others who made comments simply called for solidarity between models of all backgrounds. Jenner made no effort to make apologies or recant her statements.  

What some nepotism models fail to realize is their privilege. Even if they are beautiful and talented, they are leagues ahead of models of the same caliber that do not come from celebrity dynasties. These girls must take whatever jobs come their way, as they do not have a free ticket to book the top designers. Not to mention there is a big wage disparity between these nepotism models and the rest of the industry. Specifically, in runway shows models can be paid up to twenty thousand dollars per show, while other models may not even be compensated at all, as many designers gift models their clothing to avoid paying them. New York Fashion Week shows may seem glamorous, but very few models receive paychecks to match. In New York, models earn $48,130 on average according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Models—many of whom are minors—have low bargaining power and are frequently not paid all of their earned wages, are paid wages late, are paid only after complaining about non-payment, are paid in ‘trade’ instead of money, or are simply not paid at all,” former model and founder and executive director of the Models Alliance, Sara Ziff, told The Daily Beast. However, Kendall Jenner made ten million and Gigi Hadid made nine million. But those hefty paychecks are the exception for nepotism babies on New York runways, not the norm. Suffice it to say, for every Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, there are tens of thousands of models and aspiring models who are barely making a living. 

Social media is also to blame for this exclusive trend of booking only “celebrity” models. Back in September 2014, Vogue featured nine models on the cover and officially termed the phrase, “Instagirls.” Symbolizing a new generation of supermodels with millions of Instagram followers who have arrived to rule the runways. “Now models have social media platforms, so even if they’re not incredibly well known, they can still have a relatively big following and articulate their views in a way they weren’t able to do before,” said Francesca Granata, director of the master’s program in fashion studies at Parsons. The term “Insta girls” is being used synonymously with “supermodel” by magazines and designer brands. It appears supermodels no longer become stars; they are celebrities who decide to try out modeling. Gigi Hadid, who has seventy-three million followers on Instagram, told The Independent in an article, “Companies are going to look at your following and your ability to connect to different age groups and different people. If you can connect to a lot of people by just being relatable and by showing people different sides of your life and of you, that’s what brands are looking for.” Having well-connected families in combination with some of the best social media managers adds fuel to the favoritism problem in the industry. It has shuttered out remarkable models with true potential simply because they do not come from a household of big names or have access to obtaining a large following on social media.

Seeing the children of big-name celebrities grow up to have full control over the modeling industry is damaging not only to aspiring models but also to the industry itself. Flipping through magazines and seeing the same few select “it-girls” removes creativity from the industry. And championing the same girls casts a shadow over one of the most important facets of fashion: originality. The days of Kate Moss’s and Naomi Campbell’s are long gone now, but that does not mean a new era of models like “The Big Six” cannot take over. The industry needs to take a long look at their obsession with nepotism and give deserving models a chance. There is a need to bring back originality and uniqueness to modeling. 

-Written by: Sara Kapheim  

-Edited by: McKenzie Culliver