Like it or not, reality television has become a major launchpad for the kids of the rich and famous to break into the modeling world. First there was Kendall Jenner, introduced to the public on Keeping Up the Kardashians, and then came Bella, Gigi, and Anwar Hadid, who we got to know through their mother, former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid. While there’s been plenty of divisive discourse around the rise of nepo babies across the entertainment industry, whatever your feelings are, it's hard to fault someone with striking looks and a massive social media following for pursuing a modeling career.
Enter Amelia Gray Hamlin, whose mother Lisa Rinna also appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, introducing Hamlin to the masses. At 23, the model has made a powerful name for herself in the fashion world, having already booked some of the biggest runway shows, magazine covers, and campaigns in the business.
How did she go from Housewives fame to designer darling? Here's everything you need to know.
She grew up in the spotlight
Hamlin was born on June 13, 2001, in Los Angeles, California, into a family steeped in fame. Both of her parents were successful actors: you might recognize her father Harry Hamlin from Mad Men, Clash of the Titans, Shameless, and Veronica Mars, while her mother Lisa Rinna was known for her role as Billie Reed on Days of Our Lives. Hamlin has one older sister, Delilah Belle Hamlin, who is also a successful model, as well as an older paternal half-brother, Dimitri Alexander.
Her modeling dreams started young
In a recent interview on Vogue’s podcast The Run-Through, Hamlin revealed that she’s wanted to model since the age of five. “Almost every girl's story is, 'I was walking on the street and someone scouted me,' but that's completely opposite to my story," she said. "I scouted everyone else. I had already known that this is what I wanted to do since I was 5 years old. I have no idea why." While in high school, Hamlin built a significant following on Instagram and in April of 2017, at 15 years old, signed with IMG Models. She made her runway debut at Dennis Basso’s Spring/ Summer 2018 show that same year.
Hamlin isn’t embarrassed or shy about the fact that her parents’ status helped her launch her career. She told Vogue that she’s “well aware of the fact that I’m a nepo baby” and “is extremely grateful for that.”
She was in college when her career blew up
Hamlin moved from California to New York in 2020 to study nutrition, wellness, and psychology at The New School, but she ultimately dropped out in order to focus on modeling full-time. In the five years since, she’s become one of the industry’s most coveted and recognizable faces, noted for her dark smoldering features and edgy off-duty style.
Her modeling credits include a slate of today's top brands
Hamlin has worked with the who’s who of fashion across the globe, having appeared on the cover of foreign editions of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue as well as Homme Girls, Perfect Magazine, W Magazine, CR Fashion Book, Dazed, and Document Journal. Her runway credits include Max Mara, Fendi, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli, Michael Kors, Coperni, Chanel, and Victoria’s Secret, while she’s appeared in campaigns for the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Miu Miu, Courreges, H&M, Givenchy, and Versace. One runway show that has eluded her, however, is Tom Ford’s. "I have been to the Tom Ford casting every single time I land in Milan since my career started, and I have gotten so close to getting it," she shared with Vogue. "They fit me in clothes, this and that, nah, nah, nah. And I've never gotten it because it's always just been one person doesn't support me, which is fine. I love a challenge."
She’s been open about body image issues
In 2018, Hamlin revealed on Instagram that she had struggled with anorexia, posting a photo of herself from the year before when she was at her unhealthiest in a white bikini. “When I’d taken it a year earlier, I remember I wasn’t allowed to post it,” Hamlin said of the photo in a story for Glamour. “My mom knew I looked unhealthy and she didn’t want me to open myself up to a flood of public shaming from the internet. I think that’s ultimately why I used that photo—it was taken at one of my worst moments, and it showed just how far I’d come.” The photo ultimately went viral and opened up a flood of meaningful and vulnerable discussions surrounding unhealthy beauty and body standards for women and girls—conversations that were reignited and reached even more audiences when Hamlin’s struggle with anorexia was shown on The Real Housewives a year later.
“When you’re in recovery from an eating disorder, it’s so difficult to continue pushing through even when you have bad days where you just want to go back to your old habits,” Hamlin told Glamour. “Sharing my story has helped keep me accountable. I want to be a role model, to be strong for all the people who look to me.”
