Beckham Nepo-Baby Mocked for ‘Awkward’ Fashion Week Debut
Critics cited the 24-year-old’s catwalk career as “proof that you can do anything if your parents are famous.”
Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
The son of British soccer star David Beckham and Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham has left some onlookers disappointed with his New York Fashion Week runway debut.
On Sept. 10, the first day of New York Fashion Week, Romeo Beckham walked in Tommy Hilfiger’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation held in the lobby of The Plaza Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
The 24-year-old model was the last to walk the runway, claiming the most coveted slot at most fashion shows.
The closing spot is typically reserved for the collection’s most important or defining outfit, often modeled by the biggest name on the runway. Still, despite his high profile, some did not believe Romeo deserved the honor.
Romeo Beckham on the runway at the Tommy Hilfiger fashion show at The Plaza Hotel on September 10, 2026, in New York City.
WWD/Giovanni Giannoni/WWD via Getty Images
Romeo walked the runway in a relaxed style with his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless. He modeled a light pink button-up shirt with a color-block tie, a flannel, gray shorts, and brown leather loafers with black socks.
Multiple fashion outlets posted videos of the walk, and comments quickly filled with people calling it “awkward” and claiming that Romeo got the job purely through nepotism.
“Proof you can do anything if your parents are famous,” one person commented on Dazed’s Instagram.
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Some commenters compared the walk to “walking to the bar to get a pint.” One person wrote: “When your mom tells you to go tidy up your room for the fifth time.”
Some commenters were not impressed by Romeo Beckham’s modeling.
Instagram/Dazed
On British Vogue’s Instagram account, commenters wondered what instructions Romeo received before his debut.
“What was the talk before the show?” One person questioned. “Give me nothing and just walk???”
Gigi Hadid opened the Spring/Summer 2027 Tommy Hilfiger collection show during New York Fashion Week on September 10, 2026.
David Dee Delgado/David Delgado/Reuters
“Looks more like a bloke walking to the chip shop. No style, no grace, no strut,” another person wrote on Page Six’s video.
Some commenters called out the use of multiple models with industry ties through their parents.
The show opened with a fellow nepo baby: Gigi Hadid, 31, the daughter of former model and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid, 62, and businessman Mohamed Hadid, 77.
Romeo Beckham walking the Burberry runway during London Fashion Week in February 2026.
Isabel Infantes/Isabel Infantes/Reuters
This was Romeo’s first time walking at New York Fashion Week, but not his first runway. He has slowly gained experience over the years, walking for some of the biggest fashion houses.
He made his runway debut for Balenciaga in 2024 at Paris Fashion Week and walked for Versace at Milan Fashion Week in 2025.
This year, he walked for Burberry at London Fashion Week in February, and for Willy Chavarria at Paris Fashion Week in January and again in June.
Before his modeling career, Romeo played soccer. He retired in 2024. Next, he is pivoting to acting: In June, it was reported that he landed his debut role in the upcoming film Forty Love.
Victoria and David Beckham at the Cannes Festival Palace in France in January 2001.
Pascal Deschamps/Reuters
David, 51, and Victoria, 52, married in 1999 and share four children. They are also parents to Brooklyn, 27; Cruz, 21; and Harper, 15.
Romeo Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, and Cruz Beckham during David’s star unveiling ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in Los Angeles, California, in June 2026.
Mario Anzuoni/Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
The family has been in the headlines consistently since 2025, when rumors of a rift between Victoria, David, and Brooklyn began circulating.
In January, the Beckham family’s eldest son claimed in a detailed Instagram statement that his parents were “trying endlessly to ruin” his relationship.
Brooklyn Beckham and his wife, Nicola Peltz, in London in 2025.
Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Brooklyn married Nicola, 31, the daughter of billionaire Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Heffner, in April 2022, which was followed by highly publicized family drama that played out across traditional media and social media platforms.
He claimed that his parents disapproved of the couple and wrote, “I do not want to reconcile with my family.”
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