Elon Musk’s Transgender Daughter Vivian Exudes Glamour in Black Silk Outfit at Event
Fashion has never been the only aspect of the trans rights activist’s path. Every posture in front of a camera and every swagger down a runway has a double edge: the glimmer of aspiring success and the darkness of a public that is still split on her identity.
All eyes were on 21-year-old trans superstar Vivian Jenna Wilson on the pink carpet of the September 2025 Teen Vogue Summit in Los Angeles. She offered high fashion and high drama in a dramatic black silk gown that quickly went viral on social media.
Wilson dazzled as she posed with a boldness that was both defiant and brilliant, dressed in a strapless satin top with tiered ruffle accents and sleek, fitted black trousers. Her beautiful auburn hair cascaded below her waist, pin-straight and shining under the flash of cameras.
Her throat was adorned with a jewelled choker necklace, which gave the otherwise timeless look the perfect amount of defiance. Wilson, demanding space as a model and a voice, stood out against the pink backdrop that Teen Vogue is known for, embodying contemporary glamour with a purpose.
Wilson Talks Openly About Harmful Stereotypes and Life as a Trans Woman
Later, the scene turned from the pink carpet to the main stage, where Wilson sat down for a candid and emotional chat with Editor-in-Chief Versha Sharma and Politics Editor Lex McMenamin.
“There’s this widespread misinformation and demonisation where, especially right now, they’re painting us all as violent mass shooters,” the model said, addressing the most difficult aspects of her truth in front of a crowded audience. I’m not going to shoot anyone. I work as a model. I’m not even proficient with a rifle.”
Wilson made it clear that even though her father is Elon Musk, a multibillionaire, she is paving her own way without depending on his wealth. She declared, “I’m financially independent,” “I’m currently earning money. [cover] Pre-Teen Vogue, no. People have a lot of preconceptions, and you just kinda have to live with that.”
Diverse Responses Occur Online
Public acclaim wasn’t without criticism, either. The breathtaking photographs and video from the event rapidly circulated online, creating a tempest of comments – some appreciative, some chillingly harsh.
“So uncomfortable,” one individual sneered. Someone else said, “Poor thing is trying too hard.” “What in the awkward posing is all this?” added a third. Another even speculated that there might be “something wrong with that arm & hip 🤔.”
Nevertheless, ferocious supporters of Wilson’s self-assurance rushed to her aid. One follower praised her dramatic flair by posting, “She vogues and isn’t trying to hard she is literally naturally extra like she should be [sic] 😂❤️.” Someone else said, “She is gorgeous and is slaying and will only get better with time 👏👏👏👏 werk.”
The detractors were unsuccessful in their attempt to shake her. Wilson says, “My social media page is kind of me just doing what I feel like and people watch it sometimes,” indicating that she has long refused to clean up her online persona in order to appease the masses. I just find certain things amusing or entertaining.
And that might be the secret to her burgeoning power: she doesn’t beg for approval – she grabs the spotlight anyhow.
Wilson’s breakthrough runway season at New York Fashion Week, where she modelled for Prabal Gurung and Alexis Bittar, before her summit appearance.
Wilson Attends the Surreal Miss USA-Inspired Show as a Model in a Vibrant Red Dress
Wilson grabbed attention at Bittar’s Spring/Summer 2026 exhibition, staged on September 12, 2025, at the Abrons Theater in New York City. In a glittering red gown with flirtatious ruffled sleeves, a dark-toned Scissor handbag, dramatic gold earrings, and a bold sash that proclaimed “Miss South Carolina,” the rising model and vocal supporter of trans rights shone up the runway.
With a strange and subversive touch, the play was inspired by the Miss USA competition in 1991. It was no coincidence that Bittar was cast. The models, who were all trans women, donned sashes with the names of states like Alabama, Florida, Utah, West Virginia, and Tennessee on them.
The designer stated the motive behind the casting. “I purposely casted all trans women who represented states where trans rights were being stripped [sic],” he said.
A Pageant of Protest, Encased in Defiance and Glitter
In a behind-the-scenes interview, Wilson spoke candidly, fusing dry humour with obvious nervousness. “Hi, Nylon, this is Vivian Wilson. I am Miss South Carolina, a state I have never visited in my life [sic], and we are backstage at Alexis Bittar,” she remarked.
“My heart is black as abyss, so I just have to, like, activate the, you know, evilness,” she added, describing her role in the pageant. This is my first performance. I prepared well for it, but I’m still a little anxious. slept through the entire night. I’m hyped, I’m ready to get out there.”
Promotion
“The states that we are representing are states where trans rights are currently being stripped away in,” she continued with cool assurance. The one takeaway is that we must all sort of stand together against that. One excellent approach to do that [sic] is through fashion and art.
His own words, “Stepping into a dark surreal dream, Miss USA 1991: a touch of Carrie, Virgin Suicides, and Blue Velvet,” perfectly captured Bittar’s idea, which is equal parts beautiful and unsettling. A tale about objectification, predators, and the anxiety of strive for perfection [sic].”
It was high couture with a sharp political edge — and Wilson was at the center of it all.
A Harder Truth, a Softer Stride
Wilson returned less than twenty-four hours later, but this time he substituted dreamy white for powerful red. Gurung wore a translucent cable-knit turtleneck dress with billowy sleeves, layered over a flared mesh skirt, nude heels, and minimal makeup to glide down the aisle for her Spring/Summer 2026 show at St. Bartholomew’s Church.
It was a powerful, ethereal, and subtly defiant appearance.
Wilson has never shied away from commenting about her severed relationship with Musk. She portrayed a cold, uncaring father in an eye-opening July 2024 interview with NBC News. According to her, “He was cold,” “He gets angry easily. He is narcissistic and heartless.
“I want to say that he was there maybe 10 percent of the time,” she continued. That’s generous. He was not present in whole, although he had half custody. She talked about an elementary school incident that still bothers her.
“The fourth grade was my year. He was constantly yelling at me violently because my voice was too high throughout this road trip we had, which I didn’t realise was really just a commercial for one of the automobiles (I can’t remember which one), she recounted. “It was cruel.”
Vivian Wilson filed to legally distance herself from Musk and change her name in 2022. “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape, or form,” she stated in the document.
On every stage she takes, whether it’s a runway or a summit stage, Wilson contends with the weight of her father’s shadow, the brutality of internet strangers, and the pressing need to fight for trans visibility. Her ascent is not a tale of sequins and silk alone.
She yet continues to move forward, unrepentant, uncensored, and unfazed, demonstrating that fashion is a tool against reality rather than a means of escape for her. Vivian Wilson is not simply a fashion model; she is a role model for bravery in every glance, every chuckle, and every incisive truth.
