Family legacy: Daughters of renowned designers take over BAFWEEK with identities of their own

The debate over the “nepo baby” label has moved from Hollywood into Argentine fashion, where inherited names sit alongside a more traditional idea of passing a craft from one generation to the next. At BAFWEEK, daughters of recognized designers are bringing family legacies to the runway while trying to establish signatures of their own.

The term gained wide attention after a New York Magazine article described 2022 as the year when “the children of...” dominated Hollywood. It raised an uncomfortable question: how much of an heir’s success comes from talent, and how much comes from a door opening earlier and more easily than it does for everyone else?

Some public figures have defended their children’s careers. Kate Winslet said a famous name might open a door, but it cannot sustain a career without ability. Hailey Bieber, Stephen Baldwin’s daughter, embraced the label in early 2023 by appearing in Los Angeles wearing a shirt that simply read “nepo baby.”

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Perhaps the name opens the door, but it cannot sustain a career if there is nothing to support it.

In Argentina, Yoyi Francella, daughter of Guillermo Francella, discussed the subject on the Luzu streaming channel. She said she initially rejected a role in The Heist of the Century, until the director persuaded her with an image: she had an ace of swords and did not need to carry it on her forehead, but should not waste it either. PabloPablo, son of Jorge Drexler, turned the same tension into a song about inheriting a father’s name while leaving the surname, and what one does with it, still unwritten.

Fashion has its own code. The industry developed through houses, workshops and ateliers, where knowledge traditionally passes between generations. For Luján Sáez, that inheritance began inside the family business. The daughter of Santiago Sáez, who founded ONA SÁEZ in 1990, and Eleonora Margiotta, who worked in advertising and photography, she grew up among fabrics, shows and brand production. She calls her father her main teacher and argues that design does not require a university degree.

Her own label, LS, began almost accidentally with hand-altered jeans covered in stencils that attracted attention on the street. At BAFWEEK, she presented “N.1,” combining denim, tailoring, recycling and manual intervention. The collection brought the Sáez name back to the runway after 16 years, following ONA SÁEZ’s last appearance in 2010.

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You have an ace of swords. You do not need to carry it on your forehead, but you should not waste it either.