Vivian Wilson, the estranged daughter of billionaire Elon Musk, made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week on Friday, walking in designer Alexis Bittar’s powerful, politically themed show.
The 21-year-old model and influencer took the stage as “Miss South Carolina” during Bittar’s Miss USA 1991 presentation — a pageant-inspired showcase that highlighted trans rights in states where they are currently under threat.
“I purposely casted all trans women who represented states where trans rights were being stripped (sic),” Bittar said in a statement.
Wilson, who is transgender, wore a shimmering, short-sleeved red gown paired with bold gold earrings and one of Bittar’s signature Scissor clutches from his Spring 2026 collection.
In a joint Instagram post with Wilson, Bittar praised her, writing:
“Thank you for trusting me @vivllainous and for honouring me with your first show as Miss South Carolina (sic).”
He also described the presentation as a story about “misogyny, unchecked predators, objectification and trans rights.”
Wilson, who uses the Instagram handle @vivllainous, confirmed this was her first official runway show, though she’s no stranger to the stage. In May, she performed at the Season 10 premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in New York City, where she was filmed voguing and dancing in front of a live audience.
Why are Elon and Vivian estranged?
The fashion debut comes months after Wilson made headlines for publicly criticising her father, Elon Musk, for deadnaming her on social media — a term that refers to using a trans person’s birth name after they have changed it as part of their gender transition.
Wilson, who changed her name legally and severed ties with Musk in 2022, has remained mostly private but continues to use her platform to support LGBTQ+ visibility.
