Yolanda Hadid Says She Made Gigi and Bella Hadid Wait Until They Were 18 to Model
It may seem as though Bella and Gigi Hadid just stormed the scene out of nowhere. But their mom, Yolanda Hadid, said that even that was a calculated part of their careers. “I never let them work [as models] before they were 18,” Yolanda told Elle at the Front Row Fashion Awards in L.A. “I didn’t want anybody judging them on what they looked like. I wanted them to feel and be the authentic human beings that they are, and I think that created a lot of strength for them.”
Yolanda is famous for being a bit of a helicopter mom—and she just landed her own show, to assist other momagers in doing the same—but we have to admit, this sounds pretty good. Then again, her son, Anwar Hadid, is only 17, and he’s been out there modeling, so—hmm. Also, though Bella and Gigi didn’t get super famous until the past few years, we’re pretty sure they definitely modeled before they were 18.
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“I was discovered by Paul Marciano, of Guess, when I was actually, like, 2 years old,” Gigi told Vanity Fair in 2014. “And so I started with Baby Guess; I did Guess Kids … Since I started with IMG, I’ve done three Guess campaigns.” Uh huh. So—well before she was 18, she was in front of the camera.
We’re not sure why Yolanda is so adamant that her daughters weren’t allowed to model until they were older, but she was awarded the Mom of the Year honor at the Fashion Awards over the weekend, so maybe she was just trying to sound good. And sound good she did: “I always said to them, listen, there are thousands of girls that are much more beautiful than you girls, but you have an extraordinary character, and you’re going to have to set yourself apart by being a role model, by showing up on time and being kind to everybody … to the light people, the make-up, the cleaner in the back of the studio,” Yolanda said. “Those are the people that you have to connect with, and that’s how you can make a difference in the world.”
Indeed, Yo. This much we can definitely agree with.
