5 Nepo Babies Who Wore Their Celeb Mom's Iconic Dresses

Love them or hate them, nepo babies have an undeniable presence in Hollywood, with some of the most notable celebs of today being the children of industry figures. While the phrase nepotism baby has existed for quite a few years, the shortened term was popularized by Gen Z in 2022 to describe icons like Hailey Bieber, Gracie Abrams, and Maude Apatow. Some of these budding celebrities have chosen to pursue careers similar to their parents, while others are following in fashionable footsteps by wearing the same dresses as their iconic mothers. 

Brooke Shields' daughters, Rowan and Grier Henchy, have notably raided their mother's closet a few times, with up-and-coming model Grier even donning her mom's Andre Agassi wedding dress for her 2024 high school graduation. "Honestly, they can wear anything because just to have it have another life–you save the stuff and wonder why," Shields told People. "It's like, some big Sotheby's auction? I highly doubt it. Unless they're iconic items. So when they have another life, it feels good." Since we love both a vintage item and a fashion ode, these mother-daughter moments only add a heartwarming touch to already iconic fashion looks.

Though Rowan Henchy mostly lives her life outside of the spotlight, the oldest daughter of Brooke Shields took a moment to channel her mom by pulling an iconic piece from her closet. Henchy wore a strapless, column-shaped gown to her high school prom, with the retro garment first being sported by Shields at the 1998 Golden Globe awards. Instead of a bold red lip and side-parted waves, the New York City native styled the red gown with a black handbag, simple necklace, and striking eyeliner. "I thought it was a special night when I was nominated for a Golden Globe and wore this dress in 1998," Shields wrote on Instagram. "But nothing could have prepared me to see my daughter wearing it to her prom ❤️ proud mama!"

Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford, similarly paid homage to a past award show look in 2024, wearing a recreation of one of her mom's gowns to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Crawford posed in the original Hervé Leger dress at the 1993 Academy Awards, being pictured with her then-husband Richard Gere. Gerber, a book club co-founder, looked just like her mother in the white, figure-hugging gown, styling the look with silver jewelry, including an Omega watch from her mother's collection, a nude-toned lip color, and a sweeping side-part. "Kaia had sent me a mood board for TIFF and this was one of her references," Gerber's stylist, Molly Dickson, told Vogue. "I thought it would be amazing to pay tribute to Cindy's iconic moment."

Valentina Pinault and Salma Hayek make for another clothes-sharing, mother-daughter duo, with Pinault wearing her mom's Isaac Mizrahi gown to the Academy Awards when she was just 15 years old. Hayek first wore the strapless, A-line dress for the 1997 Fire and Ice Ball, styling it with a matching shawl, dramatic eyeshadow, and diamond collar necklace. Pinault, an aspiring actor, put her own spin on the look, adding a silver Gucci bag, thin diamond necklace, and side-parted waves. She walked the 2023 red carpet with her color-matching mom, who presented at the award show that evening.

The gorgeously transformed Zahara Jolie-Pitt is another Hollywood kid who's paid homage to their mom's fashionable past, with the second-oldest Jolie-Pitt child wearing Angelina Jolie's sparkly Elie Saab gown to the 2021 premiere of  "Eternals." Jolie, who's known for her Old Hollywood glam looks, was first pictured in the sparkly illusion gown at the 2014 Academy Awards, wearing teardrop earrings and a glam smokey eye. Jolie-Pitt took a different approach to styling, opting for minimal makeup and pulling her hair back into a ponytail. 

The then-16 year old was accompanied on the red carpet by her mom and siblings, with many of the other Jolie-Pitt children making similar fashion choices. "My kids are all mixed with vintage, and in my old Oscars dress," Jolie told Entertainment Tonight. "We did all vintage and upcycled my old stuff."

Apple Martin, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, also pulled from her celebrity mom's closet. Though we don't know if the young Hollywood figure wore the dress outside of the house, Apple posed in the Alexander McQueen gown that Paltrow originally wore for the 2002 Academy Awards. The garment featured a long, loosely pleated skirt with a sleeveless, illusion bodice, with the Goop-founder adding dark eye makeup and pulling her hair into a low ponytail with a braided accent. For her walk-in closet photo-op, which was shared to Instagram back in 2023, Apple wore her hair in a casual ponytail and accessorized with gold jewelry.