"Music Icon’s Child Walks Fashion Week Runway Despite Claiming Nepotism ‘Doesn’t Help’ Career"

Isadora Bjarkardottir Barney, the 22-year-old daughter of Icelandic icon Björk and artist Matthew Barney, made waves at Copenhagen Fashion Week, opening Cecilie Bahnsen’s 10th-anniversary show. The model-actress, often labeled a “nepo baby,” donned a dreamy semi-sheer white dress with floral details, paired with sneakers and loose waves, strutting in an abandoned parking lot transformed by fog machines.

[Image: Isadora on the runway in a white Cecilie Bahnsen dress, captioned: Isadora opened the show in a ethereal SS26 look during Copenhagen Fashion Week.]

Despite her famous lineage, Isadora has argued that nepotism “doesn’t help” her artistic journey. “My parents offer guidance, but nepotism doesn’t teach you how to develop your own voice,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald. Though grateful for their mentorship, she admits public assumptions about her privilege can be a hurdle: “People think they know me because of my family, but I’m figuring out my own path.”

[Image: Björk and Matthew Barney in 2005, captioned: Isadora’s parents, Björk and Matthew Barney, split in 2013.]

Isadora’s career began with Miu Miu’s 2022 jewelry campaign alongside stars like Emily Ratajkowski, followed by her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week. Now balancing modeling with acting, she stars in the indie drama The Mountain, playing Anna, a grieving teen navigating motherhood and loss. The role, which she calls “emotionally complex,” marks her first lead and includes original music contributions.

[Image: Isadora in a Miu Miu campaign, captioned: Her modeling debut in Miu Miu’s 2022 campaign.]

Director Cecilie Bahnsen described the Copenhagen show as an intimate homage to her roots, with guests wearing archival pieces. “It’s a thank-you to those who’ve supported us,” she said.

While Isadora acknowledges her parents’ influence—Björk starred alongside her in The Northman (2022)—she emphasizes self-reliance: “Art isn’t a pre-written path, even with connections.” Currently studying performance in London, she aims to carve her own legacy, one runway and film role at a time.

[Image: Isadora in The Mountain still, captioned: Isadora’s breakout role in The Mountain explores grief and growth.]

In her own words: “I’m learning to take up space as an artist. It’s a challenge, but that’s where the magic happens.”

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