Lourdes Leon refused entry to Marc Jacobs show and illustrates that being a 'nepo' baby only gets you so far

When your mum is Madonna you probably expect to be allowed to be a few minutes late, and yet a fashion show waits for no-one - particularly a Marc Jacobs fashion production.

Lourdes Leon (26) is the oldest child of the woman who has defined several decades of music and style. That's a tough gig to follow. How do you carve out your own persona when the ever-looming greatness of your mother - and it is very much an ongoing greatness - is being spoken about in mainstream media constantly?

Nepotism discussions for celebrity offspring have been ongoing the last year, and 'nepo' children have tried hard to frame their success in as balanced a light as possible. 'Yes, we're aware of our privilege', they say, in various forms, 'but we're also hard working'.

Lourdes adds her own flavour of 'nepo' baby to the mix. Her arrival at the Marc Jacobs show at 6pm was exactly the time the fashion label was beginning its catwalk display.

A viral TikTok posted by the account @mickmicknyc showed Lourdes trying to enter the venue Thursday (2 February) only to be stopped by security on her way up the stairs.

The humiliating incident occurred just two years after Lourdes was named the face of the fashion brand's spring 2021 campaign.

The man she arrived with was seen speaking with the guards for over a minute but he and Lourdes were repeatedly informed the event was 'closed.'

It is a heartening moment for anyone who is not a 'nepo' baby (that is, most of the world's population) as we see a rare example of privilege of birth not affording an exception. When the doors have closed, they have closed.

This is even more remarkable given she was the face of Marc Jacobs in 2021. It also begs the question of why she was running late for a huge event that she had formerly garnered huge prestige and money from.

There are basic manners when it comes to attending any event, whether it's to a high-profile fashion show or to a friend's for dinner. You could argue that Lourdes wasn't late and she arrived bang on time. This doesn't account for the protocol at fashion catwalks and the security measures around these events.

She did have the support of strangers who witnessed her rejection to the show.

Bystanders could be heard trying to tell the guards who she was. 'Let her in, she's the doll!' wailed one, while another gobsmacked onlooker asked: 'You don't know who she is?'

Their efforts reached a fever pitch when they began repeatedly chanting: 'Let her in!' only for Lourdes to be rebuffed anyway.

We can't choose our family, and therefore the 'nepo' labels and criticism can be unfair. We do choose our own time-scales though and Lourdes must need to work on those.