Update Thursday, 11 a.m.: In an interview with Access Hollywood, Gigi Hadid addressed the designer's comment, defending Hilfiger and his casting team's decision. "It's funny because it's something that people think I wasn't aware of," said the model. "Possibly back in the day that would have gone through my mind but I know that when Tommy said it, it was in context of a larger story that wasn't in the video." The supermodel went on, saying, "The point of the story was that Tommy was rooting for me and that above all, regardless of what the stylist of that season said or what he put me in, Tommy wanted me in the show and Tommy was pushing for me and Tommy loved my curves." Ultimately, it all worked out for the best for everyone involved. The next season, the same stylist from the fall 2015 show put Hadid in a bikini the next season, solidifying her presence on the runway scene for many seasons to come.
Gigi Hadid may be one of the world's most notable models—thanks, in no small part, to her wildly successful collaboration with designer Tommy Hilfiger (a number of pieces from the Tommy x Gigi collection, released in September, sold out almost instantly). But according to Hilfiger, things weren't always quite so rosy for the 21-year-old supermodel. In fact, the pair's partnership almost didn't happen thanks to a bit of good, old-fashioned body shaming.
In a recent interview with Yahoo! Style, Hilfiger revealed that his brand's casting director didn't like Hadid's look, insisting that as a runway model, she "[didn't] really fit" the brand's aesthetic. Hilfiger explains, "Our casting director said, 'She doesn’t really fit because you know she’s not quite as tall as the other girls, she’s not quite as thin.'"
Gigi Hadid adores this hair genius:
As a result, Hadid was given an oversize poncho on the fall 2015 runway, a garment that Hilfiger admits "covered a lot of her body unfortunately, but it received millions of hits." Sadly, this isn't the first time Hadid has been body shamed. Last year, the model took to Instagram to shut down some of her haters who claim her body is "too big" for the runway—and made some awesome points in the process.
Ultimately, the success of Hadid's participation in Hilfiger's fall 2015 show was what led the designer to approach the model for a collaboration, despite his colleagues' doubts. "I said, you know, why don't we ask her to design a line with us?" Hilfiger said. "So I said, 'Gigi, come design this for me. We'll do a Gigi Tommy Hilfiger line.' "
Fortunately, it worked out for the best: According to WWD, there was a 900 percent increase in traffic at tommy.com in the 48 hours after the brand's spring 2017 show. And, despite their rocky beginnings, Hadid and Hilfiger's relationship is stronger than ever.
The designer released a statement last night clarifying some aspects of his Yahoo! Style interview. "Gigi is truly the definition of a 'Tommy Girl'—her magnetic personality is bright, confident, and always optimistic. I've known her for many years, and am extremely proud to have her as the ambassador of my brand and as a collaborator of our collections."
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