Back in March 2017, Vogue Arabia introduced its Middle Eastern edition with none other than supermodel Gigi Hadid on its cover. In the photo, Gigi can be seen wearing an embellished hijab, and while some praised her, others accused her of cultural appropriation and exploiting her own background. And now someone has commented on the social media that she made the hijab a “fashion statement.”
Never afraid to stand up to social media trolls, the 23-year-old defended herself over the backlash during a recent discussion panel in Sydney. “When I shot the cover of Vogue Arabia, I wasn’t ‘Arab enough’ to be representing those girls, even though I’m half-Palestinian,” Hadid said, adding, “I’m as Palestinian as I am Dutch. I have blonde hair, but I still carry the value of my ancestors and I appreciate and respect that.”
