On September 22, Natalia Bryant made her runway debut during Milan Fashion Week, strutting for Versace’s spring/summer 2024 show. Natalia is the eldest daughter of the late Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa Bryant. For the show, she wore a classic black dress with a deep v-neckline and a hem that ended just above her knees.
Her hair was pinned back from her face, and she carried a small black handbag. On her feet were metallic, square-toed Mary Janes with decorative bows. She shared shots of herself on the runway on Instagram, writing in the caption, “VERSACE!! Grazie Mille!! Still feels like a dream. I am beyond honored and grateful.”
Her mother also shared a shot of her daughter’s premiere on Instagram. Later that week, Natalia walked for Boss, wearing a dark brown wraparound top with a black pencil skirt, black heels, and a scarf around her neck.
In an interview with Vogue, Natalia said that she was invited to join the show by Donatella Versace herself.
“She was just so welcoming and sweet and made me feel so comfortable, especially with it being my first runway,” she said. “Meeting her definitely helped settle any nerves.”
One of her big inspirations is supermodel Naomi Campbell, and Natalia said she received some advice from her mother while she was preparing for the moment.
“I’ve always loved watching videos of Naomi walking down the runway along with videos of other iconic supermodels I look up to,” she said. “My mom says, ‘Walk like Naomi but remember to be yourself, put your own style to your walk and always with your head held high.’”
The 20-year-old model was signed to IMG Models in 2021 and has starred in a campaign with Vanessa for Bulgari. She was also featured in a video for Beyoncé’s Adidas x Ivy park “Halls of Ivy” collection.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.