Gigi Hadid - Supermodel, Humanitarian, & Advocate
April is Arab American Heritage Month and we are recognizing it by sharing a story each week of an Arab American who has made a meaningful contribution.
Gigi Hadid is one of the most recognizable and admired names in fashion and beauty. As a supermodel, she has risen to the top of her field, doing it all while establishing a reputation for her incredible work ethic and compassion. As a human rights advocate, Gigi Hadid has been a fierce advocate for refugees and in 2018 partnered with UNICEF to engage with refugee communities in Bangladesh and Senegal. More recently, she has been outspoken on aiding Ukranians. And given her deep pride in her ethnic heritage, Hadid uses her hard earned platform to amplify her solidarity with Palestine and lift up her heritage.
She began her modeling career at two years old in a Baby Guess campaign. After signing with IMG Models in 2011, Hadid made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2014 and has since walked for top fashion brands internationally including Versace, Chanel, Fendi, Prada, Burberry, Balmain, and Marc Jacobs. She has also appeared on the cover of numerous fashion magazines, American Vogue among them. In addition, Gigi works as a designer and has collaborated with well-known brands like Tommy Hilfiger in this role, demonstrating the reach she has in the industry.
Her many modeling accolades include the “Model of the Year” Award she received at the First Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards, the Models.com Industry Awards “Model of the Year: Women (Reader’s Choice)” award, and more. And when not winning prestigious awards, she can be found sharing her favorite recipes on her Instagram story highlight,“From My Kitchen,” including her famous pasta sauce.
Born to former Dutch model Yolanda Hadid and Palestinian real estate developer, Mohamed Hadid, Gigi has engaged in activism around Palestinian human rights and causes for years. Most recently, following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Hadid pledged to donate her earnings from the Fall 2022 fashion shows to aid those in Ukraine and continue supporting Palestinians who suffer from occupation. Like other Arab Americans who have been targeted for speaking out in support of Palestinian human rights, Gigi has faced attacks for showing support for Palestine. Despite these harmful episodes, Gigi remains committed to her activism and solidarity with Palestinians. In the summer of 2021, with the escalating violence and forced evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, Hadid was again vocal using her powerful platform to lift up human rights abuses under occupation, speaking on what it means to be Palestinian, and condeming bigotry in all its forms.
Gigi Hadid is a young and prominent leader both in fashion and activism, and we are proud to recognize her achievements and honor her this month.