Gigi Hadid in a recent shoot with Net-A-Porter‘s Porter platform talks about her Hollywood dreams, but before that there are the joys of motherhood and lessons to be more assertive

Model-turned-designer Gigi Hadid successfully launched her own fashion brand, Guest in Residence, back in 2022, and she is gaining knowledge in the nuts and bolts of fashion production. Being in charge still feels “surreal” and, as the boss, she has learned to assert her vision, while remaining collaborative.

Hadid said, “I have learnt a lot about being assertive, which doesn’t make you a bitch… As long as you do what comes naturally, which is not to be rude, you can say how you feel.”

Despite her burgeoning brand’s success, Hadid’s love for modelling has never wavered. But she is much more intentional about the jobs she takes on now. “I think when you are a parent, you have to be intentional because, now, I literally have half the time,” says the mother of one. “I work when my daughter is with her dad [musician Zayn Malik, with whom Hadid co-parents], and that’s the time I have. And the jobs I choose to fill that time with have to be ones that are fulfilling to me.”

Someone who always believed she would be a natural businesswoman was her friend, the late Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton. Hadid deeply admired and appreciated Abloh’s ability to be inspired by anyone or anything. “I think about him a lot in this Guest in Residence job. He was someone who really encouraged me – and made me feel more confident that I was capable to be a creative director.”

There are two sides to Gigi Hadid – at least when it comes to her wardrobe. There’s the high-octane glamour that we see the model ooze on endless red carpets, and then there’s her own personal style, which is completely pared back by comparison.

Hadid divulged, “I’ve probably worn almost every type of clothing you could ever wear… I think I understand what works for people in their lives and what they want. And that starts with… these weird, crazy couture things I wear.”

This kind of exposure has made Hadid adept at construction, fit, and textiles, having spent most of her career wiggling in and out of couture. “When I design, I don’t just think about myself as this flashy public figure that everyone sees, because that’s not what I am most of the time. What my wardrobe is, and why I started a company like this, is what I know well and love: it’s all about classic basics – and making those fun.”

A former “theatre kid”, Hadid also has aspirations away from the fashion world. “If and when the right script comes around, I’d still like to do a movie one day. I took acting classes for a few years in New York. But a lot of scripts that I’ve gotten over the years are just the most obvious roles for me to play.”

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Also see: Riley Keough tells Net-A-Porter on landing her dream role