Stephanie Seymour has shared plenty of practical runway tips with her daughter Lily Brant, but one suggestion stood out for its creativity. Before Brant's debut for Alaïa at Paris Fashion Week, Seymour encouraged her to boost her confidence on the runway by imagining herself as a gazelle or a mermaid.
Seymour also advised Brant to practise walking in high heels before the show, either through college halls or by balancing on a treadmill. Brant often borrowed shoes from her mother's closet for this purpose.
Seymour's most valuable advice focused on mindset rather than technique. 'She told me to be myself and not try to copy anyone too much,' Brant told Vogue. 'Get inspiration, but find my own style of walking, and most importantly, be confident.'
Seymour also explained her own mental preparation before a runway appearance. 'She said sometimes when she would walk, she would channel whatever would help her feel confident,' Brant recalled. 'She would sometimes pretend she was a gazelle prancing around or a mermaid. She was like, "You can be whatever you want to be".'
Her father, however, kept his advice simple: don't get stressed, concentrate, and trust that she would do a great job. Lily is currently signed with Ford Models.
A Long Alaïa Connection
Brant's runway debut was particularly significant, as Alaïa has been part of her family history since childhood. Her mother was one of Azzedine Alaïa's prominent muses and models.
Brant frequently visited the designer's home with her family and remembers Alaïa as a warm presence who treated her as family. 'He was like an uncle to me and my siblings. He would always find me new outfits to wear, and I loved having dinners with him; he was always so kind and welcoming,' Brant said.
At 13, Brant received a little black dress from the designer, which she still keeps. She later interned at Alaïa for two summers at 17 and 18, working in PR, the atelier, and assisting backstage at shows.
That connection eventually brought her back to Alaïa's runway for its Spring 2027 show in Paris. Brant described the experience as a full-circle moment, having previously worked at Alaïa before walking its runway.
Lily Brant inherited all her mother's (Stephanie Seymour) genes and beauty pic.twitter.com/u0FLbscBqc
— laura peterson's bitch (@ptriciaclarkson) December 28, 2020
Her Runway Routine
She maintained a relaxed routine on show day, telling Vogue, 'I just tried to take it easy'. She explained that she slept until around 10 in the morning, had breakfast, took a bath, applied face masks, spent time with her parents, and met friends for lunch.
When she stepped onto the runway, she intentionally avoided looking at the audience, though she could still hear her family cheering. 'I'm surprised I didn't laugh because they were really close to me, and they were really loud,' she recalled.
After the show, she returned to her family and had dinner at the hotel. 'It felt really good,' she said. 'I was super happy to be up there.'
Runway Advice Gets Strange
Seymour's use of imaginary animals is just one example of the unusual instructions models have received over the years.
Karlie Kloss recalled being advised early in her career not to move her arms or hips while walking. Instead, she chose a natural walk, which became her signature runway style. 'You've just got to march to the beat of your own drum literally and figuratively,' Kloss said.
karlie kloss walks at stella mccartney ss27 show pic.twitter.com/UTtk7pENLn
— ˖᯽ ݁˖ pop backup ˖᯽ ݁˖ (@popbackupp) September 30, 2026
Kloss has also received criticism for her outward-turned toes, which she described as a 'duck walk'. She explained this stance comes from her ballet training. 'People were like, "Can you try and turn your toes in?" and I was like, "Maybe I should listen to that",' she said.
Casting director Natalie Joos offered a more theatrical visualisation. She instructed models to imagine a taut string extending from the spine through the top of the head to encourage strong posture, take long strides, and walk in accordance with an internal rhythm.
British model Edie Campbell described standard runway technique in similarly precise terms: tensing the stomach, keeping the head straight, and crossing one foot over the other. She observed that this combination often feels distinctly unnatural.
In contrast to the other examples, Seymour's suggestion to embody a gazelle or mermaid is among the more whimsical approaches to runway preparation.
