Bella Hadid covers 'Vogue' Arabia despite sister Gigi's controversy

Six months of Vogue Arabia, two Hadid cover stars. The newly launch Dubai-based edition of Vogue has tapped Bella Hadid to be on the cover of the September issue.

Shot by Karl Lagerfeld, the cover photo shows the 20-year-old in a fascinator and fishnet veil wearing a PVC faux-leather trench coat and sheer polka-dot gloves. An alternate view features the dark-haired model, who wears a pixie wig for the spread, posing in a full-coverage Fendi ensemble.

“I am so honored and proud to be on this cover of Vogue Arabia, not only to be shot by the one and only Karl, to be touched by the legend @peterphilipsmakeup and hair done up by the unrivaled @sammcknight1 … but specifically to represent and cherish my half-Palestinian blood from my father and his strong, loving, wonderful Arab side of my family,” Bella wrote on Instagram. “This cover is in honor of my teta Khair Hadid, my family, and my Arab/Muslim friends out there. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of the newest international Vogue and thank you Vogue Arabia for continuing to celebrate and accept all different cultures and customs the way we all should.”

Bella has actually spoken about her Palestinian roots in the past. “My dad was a refugee when he first came to America, so it’s actually very close to home for my sister and brother and me,” she told Porter magazine in response to President Trump’s attempt to ban those from majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. While it’s unknown whether the sisters are practicing Muslims, it’s clear that they stand behind their heritage and their religion. “[My dad] was always religious, and he always prayed with us,” she said in April. “I am proud to be a Muslim.”

Despite this background, sister Gigi Hadid’s Arabia cover stoked controversy when it came out in March, with readers expressing dismay that the magazine chose to debut with a white model in a hijab worn for fashion purposes only. “I won’t lie, I’m disappointed. It’s a great shot I guess, but it would’ve been more powerful with a Saudi Arabian model,” wrote one critic at the time.

Bella’s casting seems poised to reignite those claims of cultural appropriation.

As the New York Times points out, Bella’s cover outfits are “modest” without being explicitly Muslim in what is perhaps an attempt to capitulate to the magazine’s demographic. Editor in chief Manuel Arnaut described the covers as a “momentous occasion” for Vogue. “We constantly look for people and content that will resonate with our core readers,” he said. “That said, it is also about finding a balance. The Arab world is not a ghetto. It is a highly informed, international and cultured region where global stars like the Hadids have a cult following. Karl Lagerfeld is a legendary figure for fashion fans in the Middle East, too. We champion what goes on inside our borders, but our mission as a magazine is to cover what goes on outside them as well. That is real diversity.”

It’s a compelling explanation, and it’s easy to see the points of both sides. A user named burqbeauty commented under the Instagram cover reveal: “You guys need to play the game right … this is called Vogue Arabia and the women on the cover do not represent Arabia whatsoever even though they have a half arab heritage they still represent and identify as a westerner.”

In response, another argued, “Spanish Vogue don’t just feature Spanish women. Vogue Australia doesn’t feature only Australian women. The magazine is literally ran by Arabic men and women, they chose the model. They don’t have to feature strictly Arabic women.”

Vogue Arabia has been attempting to stir up change as the Middle East’s first luxury fashion magazine to print in both Arabic and English. Since the magazine’s March debut with Gigi, it has featured Muslim model Imaan Hammam and hijabi model Halima Aden.

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