Inside Natalia Bryant's Quiet Rise as a Model

You Might’ve Missed Gisele Bündchen’s Surprise Cameo at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2026

It's no secret that Natalia Bryant has become a fashion world fixture, sitting in the front row at shows in New York and Paris this fall.

And the 23-year-old is not only a spectator, she's also a model, having walked her first runway for Versace during Milan Fashion Week in September 2023.

But Natalia revealed yet another side of herself Oct. 18 as she made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut, sharing that she was "over the moon" to be a part of the star-studded lingerie extravaganza.

“I used to watch the show every year—since I was a little girl," the eldest daughter of Vanessa Bryant and late NBA star Kobe Bryant told Page Six backstage before hitting the runway in a relatively modest ensemble of a black bra emblazoned with "PINK" in a purple leopard print, a pink shrug and bedazzled flared jeans.

And because mamba mentality runs in the family, she watched plenty of tape to prepare.

“I had the shows on repeat, really trying to get into that mindset," Natalia shared. "And it’s crazy, because now I’m in the room with some of the OGs. Angels are among us!"

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

And with that, she notched another milestone in her quest to compile her own career stats while also honoring her famous family name. (Though if she ever wants to go incognito like some of her fellow first daughters, her middle name, Diamante, sounds ready to hold court.) 

But while the mission to distinguish one's self has proved daunting for some celebrity kids, Natalia has figured out a game plan that works for her.

"In terms of legacy," she told Town & Country in 2024, "my main goal is just to be the best version of me that I possibly can."

And not unlike a certain five-time NBA champion, she knows "you just have to keep pushing and being the best person you can be and soaking everything up like a sponge… The job’s never done.”

Which isn't to say that she has all the answers. 

"I'm always scared to take risks," Natalia told E! News in 2024, when she first collaborated with Victoria's Secret PINK on its spring collection. "You have to pull the confidence together and bring it out in you. I think having a great team and support system has been the biggest thing."

And yet she also wants to be able to face challenges one-on-one, explaining, "You have to be able to be comfortable with being alone."

So, true to form, she practices.

"It's taken me a while," Natalia said, "but over time, I've done little things, like I'll go to the movie theater by myself, taking myself out on solo dates."

And having been only 17 when her father and 13-year-old sister Gianna Bryant died in a 2020 helicopter crash, she knows from experience the importance of seizing the day.

"You can't control the future," she noted. "You don't know what tomorrow has in store."

Plus, she wants to set a strong example for siblings Bianka, 9, and Capri, 7.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Rare Beauty

So, ready or not, she conquered the catwalk for Versace in Milan, despite being "completely terrified," she admitted to Town Country, and then walked the Boss by Hugo Boss runway for good measure.

She also interned at Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment in the summer of 2023—"an amazing experience"—where she helped dream up imagery for the Renaissance Tour.

But as the first in her family to attend college, she took a step back from her burgeoning modeling career to focus on her studies, graduating from University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts in May 2025. Then she returned to the runway at New York Fashion Week in September, walking in the Off-White show, and teamed up with the L.A. Lakers as creative director on the short film Forever Iconic: Purple and Gold Around the World.

Taylor Hill/WireImage

And since signing with IMG Models at 18—"There is a lot to learn," she said at the time, "but I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn and express myself creatively”—she's yet to put a wrong foot forward.

Whether she leans more into fashion or film—or, like her father, who scored an Oscar for his animated short Dear Basketball, proves to be a dual threat—Natalia has learned "there’s no expectation that I should have for each stage of life."

As she told Town & Country, "I just need to know that I have to keep learning, because there’s no finish line."

There will, however, be more runways.

Read on to see more Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2026 looks:

Michael Buckner/WWD via Getty Images

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Michael Buckner/WWD via Getty Images

ichael Buckner/WWD via Getty Images

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret