Natalia Bryant is stepping into the spotlight. At just 18 years old, Bryant, the daughter of late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant, has signed with IMG Models. The famed agency, which represents plenty of other big names, shared the exciting news Monday on Instagram.
The news was shared Monday via IMG’s official Instagram account, which shared a stunning photo of the teen, who celebrated her birthday just three weeks ago. In a short statement, Bryant said she has “always been interested in fashion since a very young age” and has had “a love for the industry and ever since I can remember I wanted to model.” Bryant added, “There is a lot to learn but I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn and express myself creatively.” The teen shared the announcement to her Instagram Story, writing, “I am beyond thrilled and so honored to be a part of the IMG family!”
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The announcement was met with plenty of fanfare, including from her mom. Reposting the announcement to her own account, Vanessa said, “I’m so happy for you! I love you Nani!” Back on the original post, Bryant was shown love and support from others in the industry, including Martha Hunt, who commented, “Welcome to the fam gorgeous [Natalia Bryant].” Ashley Graham added heart and clapping emojis, with Lily Aldridge taking to the comments section with a series of heart-eye emojis.
Bryant is just the latest name to sign to the agency. Following the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, IMG announced it had signed on Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Ella Emhoff, Harris’s step-daughter. Both Gorman and Emhoff stole the Inauguration Day show thanks to their outfits of choice, which became the topic of discussion on social media. Other names represented by the agency include Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen, among many other A-listers.
The Monday news came just a month after Bryant and her family marked the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Kobe and 13-year-old Gianna. The two died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 while on their way to a basketball game. All those onboard the helicopter, including the pilot and several of Gianna’s teammates, died. Vanessa marked the somber anniversary with an emotional message, writing on Instagram, “I miss my baby girl and Kob-Kob so much, too. I will never understand why/how this tragedy could’ve happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings. It still doesn’t seem real.”
