Nepo babies can have access to the hottest designers and archival pieces.
BI spoke with fashion stylists to learn which of today's nepo babies have the best style.
Lori Harvey was complimented for her ability to marry grunge and feminine elements in her looks.
Raiding parents' closets is a childhood rite of passage.
"But when you have rich, famous people's closets to raid, you're going to have better options than if not," fashion stylist Payton Dale told Business Insider.
From Zahara Jolie-Pitt rewearing her mom's Elie Saab gown from the 2014 Oscars to Carys Douglas wearing mom Catherine Zeta-Jones' 1999 MTV Movie Awards dress for her 21st birthday, the children of celebrities can have access to some of the best archival pieces, designers, and, of course, money to craft iconic looks of their own.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Even Beyoncé foreshadowed her daughters' eventual placement on best-dressed lists everywhere with the 2018 lyric, "I give my daughter custom dresses, she 'gon be litty/Vintage pieces by the time she hit the city" from The Carter's "LOVEHAPPY."
Though the lines of who counts as a nepo baby remain up for debate — nepo babies, short for nepotism babies, are usually thought of as successful individuals who benefit from their parents' or other relative's success in the same or similar industries — BI reached out to Dale, as well as fashion stylists Maiya Simone and Turner Allen, to learn which nepo babies have the best style.
Here's who they picked.
Zoë Kravitz is known for her effortless, minimalistic looks.
As the daughter of actor Lisa Bonet and rockstar Lenny Kravitz, "Blink Twice" director Zoë Kravitz routinely reminds everyone that she's the inspiration for modern cool-girl fashion.
Advertisement
Advertisement
"Her looks are always very consistent in the fact that they're effortless, they're minimalistic, but they always feel cohesive and thought about," Simone told BI.
Whether she's out grabbing coffee or lunch with a friend, Kravitz's looks give off a "just rolled out of bed and threw it on" vibe that somehow work, Simone added.
On red carpets, Kravtiz is often seen in Yves Saint Laurent, a brand she's been a beauty ambassador for since 2017.
While Dale said this collaboration doesn't give audiences a chance to see her outside the brand's parameters, Simone said it feels in line with her personal style.
Advertisement
Advertisement
"YSL is also super minimalistic in a way, sexy, a little dark, a little … grungy, and I think Zoë represents all those things as well," she said.
Bella Hadid is discovering her personal style.
From walking Cannes in archival Versace to returning to the Victoria's Secret Runway, Bella Hadid is back in the fashion world.
But what stood out the most to stylists was the growth of her personal style.
Dale said she's enjoyed watching Hadid and her sister Gigi, who are the daughters of former model and TV personality Yolanda Hadid and real-estate developer Mohamed Hadid, come into their own.
Advertisement
Advertisement
"I think Bella just wants to be in jeans and a T-shirt," Dale said.
Meanwhile, Allen said he liked how Hadid's style "isn't always so overtly sexy," adding, "I like that she's a bit more experimental."
One trend in Hadid's style lately has been an interest in Western fashion elements, like cowboy boots, large belts, and denim, which was possibly influenced by her move to Fort Worth, Texas, where she lives with her boyfriend, professional cowboy Adan Banuelos.
Hadid told Allure in April, "Just as I have styled myself for years now — which I still do — I love being able to do my own hair and makeup, be happy with how I look, and get ready with my girlfriends here in Texas."
Advertisement
Advertisement
Jaden Smith takes an individualistic approach to fashion.
Simone told BI that Smith is "a little out there," but she can appreciate how "individualistic he is in his style."
Smith, the 26-year-old son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has been outspoken about his views on gendered clothing, telling British GQ in 2016, "I don't see man clothes and woman clothes, I just see scared people and comfortable people."
Two years later, the "Icon" rapper told GQ that his style heroes include everyone from Batman and Poseidon to Tyler the Creator, Steven Spielberg, and Pablo Picasso.
Advertisement
Advertisement
And in October 2022, Smith spoke with "Jazzys World TV" about the importance of fashion.
"I feel like fashion is a way for you to express yourself, to show people who you are without saying anything," he said.
"Dear Evan Hansen" star Ben Platt "isn't scared to switch up his look."
Ben Platt may not immediately come to mind as a nepo baby, but as the son of award-winning producer Marc Platt — his producing credits include "Legally Blonde," "La La Land," "Cruella," and more — he definitely qualifies ... even if he doesn't want to talk about it.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Allen told BI that he loves how Platt's style is "overtly queer and that he doesn't shy away from that in any way."
"I think that's especially important to be very, very front facing with how you take up space and especially expressing yourself and your sexuality in this very obvious, overt way," he added. "He seems to be quite experimental and isn't afraid to switch up his look in an unconventional way."
Lori Harvey is one of the "It Girls" of the moment.
Simone told BI that model Lori Harvey, the adoptive daughter of comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey, is "one of the 'It Girls' of the moment," adding that her personal style seems to blend masculine and feminine elements.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Simone said many of Harvey's street-style looks appear to have Y2K influences, like a baby tee paired with either an elegant skirt or baggy jeans then a strappy, feminine heel.
"I think that is kind of what the 'It Girl' style has evolved into these days, of being very laid back, but just also having a way of still feeling a little glam and a little polished," she said.
Harvey told StyleCaster in September that for her look at the Burberry show during London Fashion Week (pictured above right), she chose from a variety of suit options the brand had given her and then styled it to be a little more feminine by leaving the shirt open and only half tucked, and pairing it with a patent leather rose clutch.
Julez Smith is beginning to make his mark on fashion.
As the son of Solange Knowles and Daniel Smith and nephew of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Julez Smith Jr. has been around the spotlight his whole life. This year, he stepped into the limelight, making his runway debut for Luar in February.
Advertisement
Advertisement
"He's kind of put himself on the map a little bit in fashion," Simone said.
So far this year, Julez has walked for brands like Jil Sander, Off White, Bluemarble, and Versace, made his Met Gala debut, and been featured on his first print magazine cover for At Large Magazine.
In April, Smith spoke with Vogue about his personal style.
"I wear mostly streetwear and lots of baggy stuff, but I'm starting to get into high fashion — the Dries Van Noten, the Prada tees, the Loewe jackets. I like to be comfy but still fly. I rock sweats probably five days out of the week," he said.
Dan Levy is known for his bold eyewear.
Allen told BI that "Schitt's Creek" co-creator and actor Dan Levy's style is very consistent and that he thinks his "defining style feature" is his bold eyewear.
"I think that having one specific statement piece that carries on, regardless of how your style evolves — I always think it's kind of an interesting element to incorporate," he said.
In a 2019 episode of Vogue's "73 Questions," Levy, who's the son of fellow actor and comedian Eugene Levy, shared his style advice: "I think you have to feel comfortable in the clothes that you're wearing because if you are uncomfortable, people can see and people can tell and that's not a good look."
Sofia Richie Grainge embodies the quiet-luxury trend.
Lionel Richie's daughter, model and influencer Sofia Richie Grainge, has undergone a noticeable style transformation.
"I think her style now has evolved into something that is just a lot more womanly, super feminine, [and] very elegant," Simone said.
And while Simone cautioned that Richie Grainge's style could be attributed to her stylist, she said she's nailed the quiet-luxury look, wearing sought-after luxury brands like Loro Piana, Hérmes, Khaite, and Chanel.
"She just embodied that super luxurious kind of girl-on-the-go look while also keeping it very feminine and wearable," Simone said, offering the example of a classic blue jean and a white tank paired with Chanel ballerina flats and a Hérmes bag.
"So you have your touches of luxury, but again, she makes it so wearable and easy to digest," she added.
Richie Grainge put her quiet luxury tastes on display while filming for a recent podcast episode, where she appeared to wear the Cartier Crash watch — which can retail for upward of $250,000 — with vintage Levis, a Khaite T-shirt, and a Saint Laurent jacket.
Dakota Johnson blends vintage luxury pieces with everyday items.
As the daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, longtime step-daughter of actor Antonio Banderas, and granddaughter of actor Tippi Hedren, Dakota Johnson is, in Dale's words, "the nepo baby to end all nepo babies." And yes, she's an actor, too.
Dale said that she really likes the "Madame Web" star's street style, adding that she tends to wear her things in a way that has elements of bohemia to it.
"She ends up with a lot of these really cool pieces, like these vintage Louis Vuittons and Dior and Gucci bags that you see her wear like we're meant to wear bags, just casually with a T-shirt and jeans," she said.
However, Dale said it's harder to see her personal style on red carpets because she's a brand ambassador for Gucci.
In a 2022 episode of Elle's "It's A Mood," Johnson spoke about her relationship with the fashion house, saying, "I love it, I'll work with Gucci for as long as they'll have me."
In that same episode, Johnson said she likes to save a lot of her clothes and a lot of her mom's clothes, highlighting pieces like dresses, jackets, and "real pieces that are special."
Johnson's longtime stylist Kate Young said she has "a really nice, minimal sort of sensual, simplicity" to her, but also "there's the nice disco ball quality."
Read the original article on Business Insider