By Luciana Collado '25
Bella Hadid has slowly been engraving her mark in the modeling industry, but is she our generation's supermodel? Names like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford are well known for their impactful work as models during the late 80s to 90s. Those and many others including Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista, have coined the term supermodels because they were heavily booked, well-known, and had a sense of mystery behind them, but can Bella Hadid be added to the list?
Luca Tombolini, The New York Times
At her recent show with Coperini for Spring 2023, she was sprayed on a dress that was developed and applied by Dr. Manel Torres and his team. She entered the stage with only her underwear on and her arm across her chest, where she was then sprayed on a white dress. The spray began by looking like a liquid, which then appeared like spider webs, and finally, as fabric on her body. After, she closed the show by modeling the recently designed dress. While Coperini SS23 was a ready-to-wear show, this obviously won’t be available to purchase. The main purpose of the dress was to showcase the advancement of technology in fashion and add something memorable to the show.
This part of the show went completely unrehearsed which raised Hadid’s nerves. Even with such nerves like that, the show must go on, and it was quite the show. Coperini's SS23 show has helped define Bella’s importance in the industry as a model. She herself believes this has been an important show in her career and stated, “I think that was the best moment in my life.” (Testa, 2022) We get to see her shapeshift in each show she is at and each catalog she’s on which further shows her dedication to her work which also gives the public a reason to admire her so much. We love those who love their work and make a mark that differentiates them from others.
Bella Hadid is our generation’s supermodel and it-girl, there is no question about it, but she does it differently. In the 90s, the peak of supermodels, most were forced to conform by never speaking out and rarely having an identity apart from runway and commercials. Bella Hadid is the opposite of that, which is due to the fashion industry's slow changes. For example, the fashion industry has begun to be more open to diversity. We now see more people of color on the runway, as well as a variety of body types. She is quite outspoken with her social media, which was unheard of back in the 90s. That is also what makes her so likable as a model, Hadid is not afraid to speak against political things such as what is happening in Palestine. Bella Hadid is also admired by the public because of her effortless coolness and stylishness in her streetwear much like those in the 90s. She has been so influential to people on social media, and because of her, Addidas Sambas are cool again. Bella Hadid’s effortless ability to just be herself is another major factor in her admiration from the public. With all these in mind, it is clear that Bella Hadid is our generation’s supermodel because of her uniqueness, her courage to speak out about political topics at times when needed, and her influence on people have proven she is a supermodel.