Gigi Hadid Beats Sister Bella and Kendall Jenner for Model of the Year Award: Here’s Why She Deserves It

The British Fashion Council, a nonprofit devoted to promoting the British fashion industry, bestowed the coveted Model of the Year Award to Gigi Hadid on Sunday in London. Fashion legend Donatella Versace presented the coveted honor to the 21-year-old. A glowing Hadid accepted the award draped in an elaborate, asymmetrical Atelier Versace gown and Dsquared2 lace-up sandals, which she also wore at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show afterparty, according to Footwear News.

Hadid edged out her contemporaries, which included sister Bella and bestie Kendall Jenner, along with models Adwoa Aboah and Lineisy Montero, who were also nominated for the award. And the girl has definitely earned it, having racked up countless ad campaigns, editorial spreads, interviews, music videos, TV appearances, and much more as 2016 comes to a close. It has been Gigi’s year.

In February, she was photographed on the beaches of Tahiti for the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, where she showed off her physique — toned by countless hours in the boxing ring, where the model loves to work up a sweat — rocking a crocheted bikini and a white cutout one-piece, among other sizzling looks. This was her third year being chosen for the issue.

Then she took on Fashion Week all over the world, starting in New York on Sept. 8, where among the highlights were opening for Tommy Hilfiger’s show and modeling looks — including a military-inspired number — from her collaboration with the fashion icon: a line called TommyXGigi. Hadid also took over the Anna Sui stage in looks including a cowboy-inspired ensemble; Sister Bella joined her to close the show for lauded designer Marc Jacobs in her controversial faux dreadlocks, inspired by transgender director and Jacobs muse Lana Wachowski.

Later in the month, the model jetted off to Italy to dominate Milan Fashion Week. She lit up Moschino’s show in a retro blond bob wig, strutted her stuff at Fendi, and joined veteran supermodels Lauren Hutton and Naomi Campbell to introduce the new collections for Veneta and Versace, respectively. Hadid closed the Versace show in a look that had “shimmer, a short hemline, sheer panels, and one sporty anorak,” according to PopSugar. She also opened for Max Mara (and was infamously assaulted on the street after the show).

Hadid closed September by being her sensational self at Paris Fashion Week, where she headlined the show for label-of-the-moment Balmain and closed the Miu Miu show. She also donned a modified trench coat for Isabel Marant and some sparkly looks for Elie Saab and Mugler. And that’s just a taste of what she accomplished in the City of Light.

In addition to the Tommy Hilfiger collaboration, Hadid joined forces with label Stuart Weitzman to design a namesake boot this year. She also famously starred in ads for the boot, showing off her kickboxing moves (we told you she’s a devotee!). Other campaigns the beauty has fronted in 2016 include a progressive-minded Versace spread (and kicked butt in another for the label) that depicted her as a mother to biracial children, the #PerfectNever campaign for Reebok, and most recently the Tommy Hilfiger 2016 holiday campaign … to name just a few.

In November, the model cohosted the American Music Awards with Jay Pharoah, and she showed she could stun in haute couture while getting silly onstage during her monologue — and changing her outfits throughout the show, rocking everything from an off-the-shoulder Roberto Cavalli gown on the red carpet to a series of body-con dresses with strategically placed cutouts.

According to Teen Vogue, Hadid has gained a whopping 16 million Instagram followers in 2016 — 16 million! — with her Instagram count toppling at 26.2 million followers and her Twitter exceeding three and a half million. And she finally earned her wings — her Victoria’s Secret Angel wings, that is — on Nov. 30, when she starred in the brand’s blockbuster fashion show.

Oh, to have the energy of a 21-year-old! We can only imagine what 2017 will bring for this supermodel powerhouse.

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