MFF 113 - Gigi Hadid: «I wanted a brand true to who I am»

“I wanted a brand that was true to myself. I have a responsible attitude towards clothes, there are garments I have used for years”. From queen of the runways to director of a styling office. From supermodel to designer. From world-renowned muse to creative who observes the people around her in order to develop the tale narrated in Guest in Residence, the sustainable cashmere brand she just launched. Gigi Hadid does not stop, her more than 76 million followers on Instagram already know that, they do not even need her last name, the four letters of her first name are enough to identify her. After being called upon by designers of the caliber of Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger and Donatella Versace, Gigi is now putting herself to the test on the other side of the fence, as a designer.

“I had been thinking about creating my own brand for quite some time and I had received many offers,” Gigi Hadid herself explained to MFF-Magazine For Fashion while talking about the birth of Guest in Residence, launched during New York Fashion Week with the inauguration of a pop-up store in Mercer Street. A special tale between words and pictures, with an interview and a photographic portfolio with Gigi Hadid herself wearing her own creations as part of the limited edition Varsity Funk drop. “Being a model is interesting, you are in a new place every day, you meet new people. But it is also nice to visit a new place without feeling like a fish out of water,” Hadid continued. “I told Donatella everything about the project. I want to make her proud”.

How does it feel to have your own brand?

It is a wonderful feeling. For a long time, my team and I were the only ones who knew about the collection, and it makes me emotional to finally see other people buying, wearing and loving it. It was a great emotion for all of us. I had been thinking about creating my own brand for a while and I had received many offers, but I did not want to feel the pressure of the competitors. I have a responsible attitude towards clothes, there are garments I have used for years, combining them in different ways. I wanted to create something that reflected this attitude.

Where does the name Guest in Residence come from?

I thought about various expressions that could work and Guest in Residence is something I reflected upon. I believe everyone is a “guest in residence” in the clothes we own, we only wear them for a certain period of time, and we hope to pass them down. But we are also guests in our home, the people who will live on the planet after us will be guests in our bodies.

How long did it take to make the collection?

We started thinking about it three years ago, but once I had the idea and started working on the commercial side of it, we started thinking about patterns and there is where the idea for the main collection was born. Then we hired the designers and, at the beginning of this year, we bought an office.

A memory behind an item in particular?

Before we announced the launch of Guest in Residence, I wore a yellow turtleneck sweater during a flight. At one point, a steward came to me and said, “What a wonderful sweater! That color puts me in a good mood!” I wanted to shout, “Hey, this is my brand!”. That steward was the first person to know about the company (laughs).

How do you combine quality and pricing?

We are able to make a direct offer to the consumer always at the highest level, 100% cashmere with the longest fibers in circulation. We researched a lot on why some cashmeres have a certain price and others do not, although they are all 100% cashmere. We found out that a lot depends on fiber integrity and yarn production. We arrived at an accessible price for a very high-quality long-lasting product.

What are the differences between designing your own collection and a capsule, for example the one you designed for Tommy Hilfiger?

It is completely different, but I was very lucky because the first experience on the field, as a designer, especially with Tommy, was very rich. I had four seasons to know myself as a creative. With all the other collaborations, such as Vogue Eyewear, Stuart Weitzman and Maybelline, I was a creative but within a third-party infrastructure. In this case, there is no pressure of starting from scratch and we already know our clients. With every collaboration, I tried to learn a lot and I believe most things I brought into Guest in Residence derive from previous partnerships.

You are the muse of many designers and an entire generation. Who is your muse, your inspiration?

My muses are all the people I have worked with. Many people, even in the Guest in Residence team, are friends and family and they are all inspirations. Such as Gabriella Karefa Johnson, who is our stylist, and Rossella Raffi, who I worked with at Tommy Hilfiger and is now part of the team. I am inspired by Tommy, Donatella Versace and Carine Roitfeld as people and not just as fashion personalities. In all of them lives the sense of being “guests in residence,” of being masters of their own time, chic and comfortable. Whether they are on a plane, on the couch or at a nice dinner party, they have a certain warmth, and that is why I am attracted to them.

What is your earliest fashion-related memory?

When Bella and I used to have fashion shows in our mother's clothes in the hallways and on the stairs of our house.

Who would open those fashion shows?

I would open and Bella would close. Or vice versa, in the end we were only two models (laughs). But sometimes there was also our brother who would come between us.

You said that Donatella Versace is a friend and a very important person to you. Did you call her to ask for advice?

I told her everything. I just want to make her proud, that is why today I am happy to be able to show her my garments.

What about Bella?

Bella is one of the first people who came to the office and told us what her favorite garment was. That is why the Stealth Cardigan has been called “Bella Cardigan” by us for a long time. I called it Stealth because it is a garment that can be worn under any jacket... It can be worn as a cardigan, but also as a top, it is very versatile.

Now you are a supermodel and a fashion designer. What is the next step?

I try not to put too much pressure on myself, I want things to come in a genuine way. If I focus too long on something, I start to get tunnel vision. I prefer to be open, creative and put myself in front of people that I love and inspire me. Then things come naturally, and I am more ready than if I just focused on a single goal.

What is your favorite part of the process of designing a collection?

I love choosing color swatches. But I also love sitting around a table and sketching. My design process starts by closing my eyes and creating a world for each collection. I start thinking about all the people who might fit into it and what they would wear, what colors they would choose, and what they would do with their day. I like to think about how a piece could be used in different situations.

And the part you find most difficult?

I ask myself to do my best for the people I work with, make them proud and make their work regular. This is the part I put the most pressure on myself.

Do you enjoy going to the office?

I really enjoy being in the office with my team. It is such a different experience from modeling! Being a model is a very interesting job, every day you are in a new place, you are dealing with new people, and you have to figure out so many things quickly, for example how long they have been working together... At least that is one way I have worked out over the years to adapt to a wide variety of contexts. But it is also nice to go to a place and not feel like a fish out of water (laughs).

How does it feel to be Gigi Hadid?

I feel lucky and human. We all go through ups and downs in life, and I try to be in harmony with the rhythm of things and take it one day at a time.

When will we see your collection on the runway?

Maybe someday, if it makes sense, I do not preclude it. But I also do not want to force this moment.

If there were to be a catwalk, who would be there to open it?

Rihanna.

And to close it?

My sister would close it, otherwise Bella would be very resentful (laughs). (All rights reserved)