Back in February, when news broke of President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban and protests erupted all over the country, many fashion fixtures stayed remarkably silent. The Hadid sisters were not among them. Bella Hadid and her older sister Gigi, two of the most prominent supermodels of our time, took to the streets of New York, joining a local rally.
Up until that time, the Hadids weren’t exactly known for their political involvement. Still, their surname broadcasts their Palestinian heritage, thus their motives for protesting were fairly obvious. In her cover interview for the summer issue of Porter magazine, Bella explains why she and Gigi felt the need to take a stand.
“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,” the 20-year-old told Porter. “He was always religious, and he always prayed with us. I am proud to be a Muslim.”
According to Page Six, Mohamed Hadid (father to Bella, Gigi and Anwar) was born in Nazareth and lived in Syria and Lebanon before coming to the United States at 14 years old as a refugee. The real estate mogul is now worth $200 million. Talk about the American dream.
In a February interview with Elle, the supermodel spoke of her “diverse background” and her belief that people of all races “deserve respect and kindness.” Bella said, “We shouldn’t treat people as if they don’t deserve kindness just because of their ethnicities. It’s just not right. And that message — to be compassionate whenever possible — that’s so important to me.”
Bella’s Porter interview also broaches the subjects of her Lyme disease diagnosis (“I couldn’t get out of bed for six days…. that was the hardest time of my life”) and her comfort with nudity (her Terry Richardson-lensed spread includes a topless photo). “My mom is very European, so our whole life we were very open about that stuff,” states the lover of sheer Christian Dior bustier dresses.
Porter’s summer issue goes on sale April 7.
[ via the Cut ]
