news

Tracee Ellis Ross Walks the Runway Hand-in-Hand with Mom Diana Ross in This Vintage Video

We think of Tracee Ellis Ross as a constant source of fashion inspiration, and she came by her style sensibility naturally. As the daughter of Diana Ross, the Black-ish actress grew up in a world full of high fashion, and according to her latest Instagram post, she had dreams of being a supermodel from a young age.

The 49-year-old actress just shared a video from one of her first runway walks at the mere age of 18, where she was accompanied by her mother. She posted this vintage clip to honor French fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who passed away just yesterday.

Ross told the story behind the video in her caption, where she said, “I had the honor of walking for @muglerofficial twice: 1991 & 1992. When I was 18 then 19 years old. I desperately wanted to be a model. But, Super Model-dom was way out of my reach until my mother got a phone call from the incredible @manfredthierrymugler. My mother agreed to walk in the show as long as they allowed me to model in the show as well.”

Ross continued, saying, “My 18th birthday present: I GOT TO WALK IN THE BUTTERFLY SHOW. And then Thierry invited me back the next year without my mom and I walked again.”

As evidenced by her Instagram posts, Ross has always had a love for fashion, and she used the rest of her caption to discuss Mugler's impact, writing, “Thierry Mugler was a defining force in fashion. Even his archive collection today seems futuristic. He was a true dreamer….he designed for a future where women were in charge and on top. His clothes were sculptural, sexy and fierce. I remember him as joyous and beautiful. He loved my mother. And allowed me to take part in his incredible world. What an honor it is to have a small piece history with a true fashion icon. Rest In Peace, Manfred Thierry Mugler.”

In the video, we see the mom and daughter walk in black leather ensembles, followed by shots of Ross walking solo the following year, where she donned a sheer black dress and a gold top and red pants combo.

Ross previously shared this video in 2020, when she revealed there was almost a wardrobe malfunction at the event. She said, “After a mere 3.5 hour flight from NY, we landed. I was having trouble with the shoes, so THE Willi Ninja, legendary mother of the House of Ninja and catwalk teacher extraordinaire, coached me! The experience and the show were EPIC!!!”

We're glad everything worked out in the end (and we have this iconic video to prove it).

Stay up-to-date on every breaking Tracee Ellis Ross story by subscribing here.

No One Works a Power Suit Better Than Tracee Ellis Ross in Her New Instagram Video


Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features...
read full bio

Why You Should Trust Us

PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.