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Having a literary parent is highly fashionable these days, and some Aristo-brats aren't embarrassed to flaunt it. Rebecca Walker, daughter of Pulitzer-winning author and feminist Alice Walker, had few qualms about dropping her Dad's clunky "Leventhal" and adopting Mom's surname when she decided to pick up a pen. And there's little doubt that both Molly Jong-Fast, daughter of best-selling author Erica Jong and granddaughter of novelist Howard Fast, and Simon Rich, son of New York Times columnist Frank Rich, both scored their multi-book deals before even graduating college at least in part because of their parents' renown.

Some Aristo-brats have been handed a genetic advantage—those gifted athletes and great beauties who embody the phrase, "It runs in the family." Not Brody Jenner, alasOf course, some Aristo-brats have been handed a genetic advantage—those gifted athletes and great beauties who smugly embody the adage, "It runs in the family." This creed has had a breakout year: Consider the success of NFL champion quarterback Eli Manning, brother of equally accomplished Peyton, but also the son of ringless NFL veteran Archie. Surely his quickness on the field can be partially attributed to some enviable strand of  DNA elusive to most mortals. The same can be said for the model Aristo-brats stalking the runway these days (and there are plenty).

Lydia Hearst, the blonde daughter of actress and kidnappee Patty Hearst and great-granddaughter of eccentric newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, is slated to receive a Michael Award—the Oscar of the fashion industry—for Model of the Year in May. Like Rebecca Walker and Missoni heiress Margherita Missoni (née Maccapani), Lydia falls into the category of shameless name changers. She makes no bones about why she ditched her father's name, Shaw, in favor of her mother's, Hearst. It was her agent's idea. The name will sell, he told her. He was right.

Attractive though she may be, it's unlikely that the 5'7" heiress would be in contention for the top-model prize without the Hearst value-add. Same goes for Keith Richards' daughters Theodora and Alexandra, whose lineage has given them a leg up in modeling. Indeed, with each new fashion season, another genetically advantaged Aristo-brat elbows some anonymous Lithuanian bombshell out of the way. A few years back at the European shows, it was Riley Keough, Elvis' teenage granddaughter. This past February at New York Fashion Week, it was Kiera Chaplin, the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin and great-granddaughter of Eugene O'Neill. And Elettra Rossellini-Weidemann, daughter of Isabella Rossellini, herself the Aristo-brat daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini and the onetime face of Lancôme, recently shot her own campaign for the skin-care company. Man, that must piss off the other models!