Vivian Wilson Makes Electrifying NYFW Debut, Fights for Trans Rights as “Miss South Carolina”
Vivian Wilson, the 21-year-old daughter of tech titan Elon Musk and author Justine Wilson, made a striking and politically charged debut on the New York Fashion Week runway on Friday, September 12, 2025. Stepping into the spotlight for Alexis Bittar’s Spring-Summer 2026 show, themed “MISS USA 1991: a Dream Sequence,” Wilson transformed into “Miss South Carolina,” delivering a powerful message against the erosion of transgender rights across the United States.
Held at the Abrons Art Center, Bittar’s highly anticipated presentation was far more than a typical fashion spectacle. The Brooklyn-based designer explicitly stated the collection was “a story about misogyny, unchecked predators, objectification and trans rights,” infused with “a strong sense of surrealism.” Models, including Wilson and director-actress Tommy Dorfman, embodied pageant contestants from states where legislative actions are actively stripping away trans rights. Wilson, a Los Angeles native, playfully remarked to Nylon backstage about representing a state she’d “never been to in my life,” yet she embraced the role’s deeper significance.
Clad in a glittering, floor-length red gown and a satin sash declaring her “Miss South Carolina,” Wilson brought a nuanced performance to the runway. Other models represented West Virginia, Florida, Utah, Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana—a pointed selection of states at the forefront of the debate over trans rights. “The one message is that we all have to kind of make a stand against that together,” Wilson articulated to Nylon, emphasizing fashion and art as potent vehicles for advocacy. She further described her “Miss South Carolina” character as “the mean, bitchy one,” quipping, “My heart is black as an abyss, so I just have to, like, activate the, you know, evilness,” highlighting the satirical edge of her portrayal.
This New York Fashion Week appearance marks another significant milestone in a year of firsts for Vivian Wilson. Earlier in the summer, on June 13, she made her debut drag performance as “Vivllainous” in Los Angeles, sporting a skintight black bodysuit, futuristic makeup, and prominently displaying a transgender pride flag during Pattie Gonia Presents SAVE HER! – An Environmental Drag Show. Her public journey also includes a first major modeling campaign for Wildfang, where she celebrated queer identity. Wilson’s openness about her identity extends to her personal life; she confirmed her gender identity in 2020, recounting in a Teen Vogue cover story that her mother, Justine Wilson, offered far more support than her estranged father, Elon Musk, 54.
Beyond the world of fashion and activism, Wilson has expressed aspirations for continued education. In a September 2 interview with The Cut, she revealed her interest in returning to college this fall to further her study of foreign languages, candidly noting the financial hurdles, stating she doesn’t “have that inheritance.” Her New York Fashion Week debut, met with personal satisfaction — “First fw show done, very slay,” she captioned an Instagram selfie — firmly positions Vivian Wilson not just as a rising figure in fashion, but as a compelling voice at the intersection of art, identity, and social justice.
