My necklaces are a nod to the late dad Kobe Bryant – CNET – ApparelGeek

Close to his heart. Natalia Bryant revealed the touching meaning behind the two necklaces she wears every day – and their connection to her late father, Kobe Bryant.

“It’s a necklace that says ‘Slim.’ It was my nickname growing up,” the 19-year-old model explained in a video for vogue‘s Beauty Secrets series which was released on Thursday, December 1, while showing off the glittering nameplate necklace to the camera. “I was so eensy-teensy. All my shirts said ‘Slim’ – I didn’t grow up in shirts until I was older, so my dad always called me ‘Slim’.

Natalia also presented a second necklace with a gold medallion honoring the Bryant Family’s Mamba and Mambacita Foundation. The organization is working to provide funding to underserved athletes in honor of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. “I actually carry this locket with me all the time,” she confessed. “[The engraving] says “Dedication makes dreams come true.”

She continued, “It’s a quote from my dad, and it’s something I live by.”

The NBA legend – who also shares daughters Bianka, 5, and Capri, 3, with Vanessa Bryant – died in January 2020 at the age of 41 alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers when their helicopter crashed into a hill in Calabasas, California. The group was traveling to Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for basketball practice at the time.

Natalia has frequently shared her favorite memories of Kobe and Gianna since their tragic deaths. In September 2021, the University of Southern California student opened up about bonding with the athlete over their shared love of filmmaking. “My dad and I were always watching as many movies as we could and doing movie marathons,” she said in a YouTube video for IMG Models. “And then we would always analyze as many films as we could and talk about them for months. Everywhere we went we kept talking about different movies and how it, like, reminds us of where we are. … Things like that really inspired me, and I was like, ‘I want to do this, forever.’ »

Later that month, she praised Kobe and Vanessa for making sure their kids stayed grounded. “Growing up, my parents made it as normal as possible,” Natalia said. teen vogue. “Thank God they did. It’s not, ‘Oh, this is Natalia Bryant, this is Kobe Bryant’s daughter.’ Often they saw me as “It’s just Nani.”

Describing the former LA Lakers player as “the best father of a daughter ever”, the teenager explained that sharing her memories of her father with the world has been healing. “I love talking about my dad,” Natalia told the outlet. “It’s bittersweet, but I love talking about him more than it’s sad for me.”

The California native once again reflected on her parents’ desire for her to live a normal life in her Vogue video. “I wanted to be a model when I was younger, but my mom and I had an agreement that I had to finish high school first,” Natalia said in Thursday’s video. “And I’m so glad she put me through high school before modeling because…modeling is hard work.”