Gigi Hadid issued an apology on Thursday for her cover of the May issue of Vogue Italia, which many people — including fans of Hadid’s — took issue with because of her darkened skin.
— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) May 3, 2018
She posted the text on a photo of her returning home from the photoshoot to show the actual color of her skin, rather than how she was bronzed on the cover. “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 if out of my control fully,” Hadid wrote. “The bronzing and photoshop is a style that S. Klein has done for many years and I believe was what was expected from the shoot (to show me in a different way creatively), BUT, although I understand what Vogue Italia’s intentions were, it was not executed correctly, and the concerns that have been brought up are valid.”
She continued, “I want to address this for those who were offended by the editing/retouching/coloring of the cover. Please know that things would have been different if my control of the situation was different. Regardless, I want to apologize because my intention is never to diminish those concerns or take opportunities away from anyone else, and I hope this can be an example to other magazines and teams in the future. There are real issues regarding representation in fashion—it’s our responsibility to acknowledge those issues and communicate through them to work towards a more diverse industry.”
Most of the comments prior to Hadid’s apology were in the comments of Vogue Italia‘s Instagram post of the cover, though some took to Twitter to express their concerns.
.@GigiHadid accused of doing “black face” on her Vogue Italia cover. pic.twitter.com/Feqtu1mWPF
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 3, 2018
@GiGiHadid You need to help #CancelStevenKlein after his shoot with you in Vogue and his racist shoot with Lara Stone in Vogue France. Blackface is wrong! pic.twitter.com/N36I0QFuMv
— Claire Woods (@ClaireWoods22) May 3, 2018
Vogue Italia issued a statement on Thursday, explaining the vision for the photoshoot and apologizing for any offense caused.
Both Hadid and Vogue Italia have been accused of blackface before, back when the model was photographed for the magazine in 2015.
Call out @vogue_italia for putting @GiGiHadid, who is not a woman of color, in an afro wig and blackface. pic.twitter.com/s0jKf2TfjY
— Derek Sherry (@RealDerekSherry) February 7, 2017