Bella Hadid: 'I'm still uncomfortable in front of cameras'
As Bella Hadid swoops towards- and then straight past- me, wearing a Ralph Lauren fur-trimmed coat over a halterneck burgundy column dress and fashionably behind schedule, she seems to epitomise the legend of the diva supermodel. First she disappears to the bathroom and then down a corridor to make a phone call while a small entourage await her readiness to start interviews.
By stealth, this has been the year of Bella Hadid. She has graced the cover of 28 magazines, including Vogue Italia, Porter, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and American Elle making her 2017’s most popular cover girl. Global search platform Lyst reported last month that Bella was the third most influential style star of the year, just behind Rihanna and edging ahead of Meghan Markle and the Duchess of Cambridge, who were in 4th and 5th places respectively.
You may think then, that Bella must dedicate a serious amount of time to shopping. Indeed, a quick Google search moments before our meeting reveals photos of her browsing Balenciaga’s Mayfair store earlier in the day. “I never go shopping so today was my one splurge day I’ve had this year,” she insists when we eventually sit down to talk- and she turns out to be more charming and sweet than her arrival might have suggested. And just to counterbalance any idea that only big designer names will do, she adds that she also visited Portobello Road, West London’s vintage shopping mecca where “everyone looked so cool, it gave me so many ideas.”
“My style changes so much,” says Bella, which is something of an understatement, considering how readily she morphs from the classic glamour look which she is wearing tonight to 80s Dad jeans and trainers, directional streetwear or a sleek LBD. “Right now I’m starting to wear the same things I wore when I was 14 or 15. I never liked to spend my parents’ money so I would go to the flea markets and just buy things I thought were cool. Even now I walk out of the door and think ‘people are going to say something funny about it, but if I like it and feel good in it, then I hope other people see that too. If you love what you’re wearing and feel comfortable in it then there’s no way to go wrong.”
With a world of wardrobe possibilities at her feet, Hadid singles out “an adorable Betsey Johnson plaid skirt which I bought super-cheap when I was younger,” as a current favourite; “I just found it and started wearing it again.”
Not so long ago, she was the ‘other’ Hadid sister, eclipsed by elder sibling Gigi with her girl next door honey-blonde hair, wholesome smile and faintest hint of curves. Bella and Gigi made it into Forbes’ most recent list of highest earning models, with Gigi coming in at number 5 with an estimated income of $9.5m and Bella in ninth position at around $6m. But in a fashion climate which is exploring an alternative look more keenly than ever before, Bella’s jet black hair and impeccably chiselled and taut cheekbones- which give her an air of exoticism- have seen her step to the forefront.
The sisters were brought up in California by their parents Yolanda Hadid, a Dutch-American former model and star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Mohamed Hadid, a Palestinian-American who was born in Nazareth and went on to make his fortune as a businessman and property developer.
“My Dad and Mum both grew up not having much money,” she says. “They had a big work ethic which I learned from them- to be financially independent and work on your own so I do it instead of asking for it. I will keep working to make sure they are stable for the rest of their lives.”
The day before our interview, news has come of President Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. “Watching the news and seeing the pain of the Palestinian people makes me cry for the many many generations of Palestine. Seeing the sadness of my father, cousins, and Palestinian family that are feeling for our Palestinian ancestors makes this even harder to write. Jerusalem is home of all religions. For this to happen, I feel, makes us take 5 steps back making it harder to live in a world of peace,” Bella, who earlier this year told Porter magazine that she was ‘proud to be Muslim’, wrote on her Instagram page, where she has 16.2 million followers.
Bella seems to melt when talk turns to her mother. “My mum is my best friend,” she smiles. The supermodel is in London with Tag Heuer, the Swiss watch company for whom she is a spokesperson and muse. She is wearing the limited edition Bella Link watch which has been created in her honour. The sleekly elegant matte black ceramic style, inset with 42 diamonds, twinkles on Bella’s wrist. “It’s a beautiful watch. My mum always had very petite jewellery and watches growing up so I love to base things off her. It’s perfect to give an edgier vibe, whether it’s with what I’m wearing tonight [for a dinner at which she is the guest of honour] or Levi’s tomorrow.”
As well as offering jewellery inspiration, 21-year-old Bella credits Yolanda, who divorced from Mohamed in 2000, with keeping her grounded amidst the mad world of modelling. “It’s very hard sometimes with everything. I try to stay centred, if I’m not with my team then I’m on the phone to my mum. She keeps me as sane as I can be.”
Yolanda, Bella and her younger brother Anwar all suffer from Lyme disease, the debilitating bacterial infection spread by ticks. Bella’s illness forced her to give up on her dream of competing as an equestrian in the Olympics. “I was so competitive growing up, I would go to horse shows by myself almost every week, driving six hours to get there and being by myself for a few days,” she remembers. “That definitely prepared me for the career I have now. It’s a very independent job. I’d have to be up a 5 in the morning to ride and make sure my horse was cleared out every day.”
Bella Hadid's best looks
Another teen dream was photography. She enrolled on a photography course at Parsons School of Design in New York before her modelling career took off in 2015. “I think in the future I’m going to start shooting again, first as a hobby but maybe as a career too, eventually.” Nowadays there’s more longevity for the most super of supermodels (see, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford et al) but Bella heading behind the camera would be the most modern of next steps.
Besides, despite becoming one of the most in demand faces in the world, Bella confesses to unease about her role: “I’m still very uncomfortable in front of video cameras so I’m trying to figure that out. I’ve become confident with the people around me and myself, I’ve made friends with everybody so instead of it being a camera, it’s about the person behind the camera. When you’re comfortable with the people around you, you learn not to be so nervous and to smile.”