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Gigi Hadid Responds To Accusations That She Wore ‘Blackface’ For Vogue Italia Cover

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After American model Gigi Hadid was depicted on the cover of Vogue Italia in heavy bronzer, she received criticism for what appeared to be a depiction of “blackface.” The practice has long been deemed racially insensitive and Hadid is not clueless to that fact. In fact, in response to the backlash she received over the cover, she responded by saying “I want to address this for those who were offended by the editing/retouching/coloring of the color. Please know that things would have been different if my control of the situation was different.”

https://twitter.com/GiGiHadid/status/992114334410117121

In her statement, Hadid points out her lack of control over the creative direction of the shoot, writing: “Please understand that my control of a shoot 1. Is non existent in terms of creative direction 2. Ends completely when I leave set, and anything done to a photo in post is out of my control fully.”

Though the model remained defensive of her lack of control, she did take a moment to chide Vogue Italia. “[A]lthough I understand what Vogue Italia’s intentions were, it was not executed correctly, and the concerns that have been brought up are valid.”

This shoot wasn’t the first time the Italian magazine utilized Hadid for an unintentionally controversial shoot. During a 2015 session with photographer Steven Meisel, Vogue Italia overly bronzed and edited Hadid similar in style to the 2018 cover, but complicated things by giving her an afro.

It may be easier to argue that the 2018 cover is less of an issue of “blackface” as she does have a Mediterranean look, but once an afro is added into the mix, it becomes more difficult to defend Vogue Italia.

https://twitter.com/blancapadillla/status/991797857572282368

Hadid was quick to respond to the controversy, but Vogue Italia has remained silent about the issue. The magazine’s social media accounts did pull the magazine cover from its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram walls. The magazine’s Editor-at-Large, Patti Wilson, did step up on Instagram with her own take on the issue.

“As a black woman and as contributing Editor-at-Large of Italian Vogue I wanted to take a moment to address the Gigi Hadid May cover comments I’ve been seeing,” her post starts, the perfect setup for a non-apology. “It’s a summer issue… Gigi was meant to look bronze, tan, and gorgeous. Nothing more than that.” Wilson’s reply was received by mixed reactions. Users like @afamalliance were less pleased with her use of “as a black woman,” stating “Please don’t use your ‘as a black woman’ card… as if you can dismiss the statements of all other black women. You do not represent us nor do you speak for us.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiU840SB–J/?utm_source=ig_embed

Hadid’s apology was received with mixed reactions, with some feeling she was the victim of poor creative decisions and others feeling as though she could have prevented it from happening altogether. Others are more fed up with the current climate of the world, citing the debacle over Keziah Daum’s cheongsam prom dress and Hadid’s cover as signs of “reverse racism.”

https://twitter.com/dovetomyariana/status/992115504516096000

https://twitter.com/BrittMcHenry/status/992226548089589760

Hadid premiered as a model in the 2015 Pirelli calendar. That same year, Daily Front Row named her “Model of the Year” and she was picked up as a Maybelline brand ambassador. Her career has been a prosperous one, dating back to 2012 with her first film appearance in the short film Virgin Eyes. She’s since popped in on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, MasterChef, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lip Sync Battle, and has even hosted the 2016 American Music Awards and iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards.