Gigi Hadid feels grateful as she reflects on how far she has come in her modeling journey.
In a new video shared by Victoria’s Secret on October 10, the supermodel got emotional as she reflected on her early career and recalled the moment she hosted her very first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2015.
Gigi called it a “dream come true” and said she had to work hard for that moment, explaining how she “went to a lot of go-sees” and “tried two or three times” before finally getting her big break.
“I’m just so happy for her,” Gigi tearfully shared of her younger self.
“She just wanted it so bad. When I look back at the photos of that time, the world was so hard on her – and not just on me, hard on girls.”
Now, ten years later, Gigi looks back on that time with pride and confidence.
“That was a great time,” she reflected. “I deserved to be there and to keep coming back to this show. I’m so happy for that girl who got the first show, and also for my teenage self who watched the show.”
The 30-year-old model, who returns to walk this year’s Victoria’s Secret runway presentation, also shared how surreal it has been sharing the stage with her younger sister Bella Hadid over the years.
“When I can look at my sister, and she’s shiny and hot and wearing angel wings,” she said, laughing, “that’s part of the dream come true.”
Now a mother to her five-year-old daughter Khai, whom she shares with ex Zayn Malik, Gigi says motherhood has given her a new perspective on her career and the joy she finds in it.
“When you have a child, you experience everything in life differently,” she said, adding that the show represents “the most glamorous, exciting, sparkling, fun, pink version” of her work.
“This is the most exciting thing for me to tell Khai about,” she continued.
“She’s just as excited about all the costumes as I am. The VS show is one of those things that still makes my heart beat so fast.”
Outside of work, Gigi recently celebrated Bella Hadid’s 29th birthday in the sweetest way.
On October 9, she posted a touching tribute on Instagram Stories full of nostalgic and recent photos that captured their close sisterly bond.
“It’s @bellahadid day,” Gigi captioned a childhood photo of the two sitting next to each other in matching orange and white swimsuits with scarves on their heads. In another black and white photo of them smiling, she added: “She is our walking heart.”
She followed with more heartfelt messages, including, “You must protect her at all costs,” and above a photo of them in matching white dresses and floral headbands, she reminded her followers, “You better be nice in the comments.”
One particularly sweet moment showed Bella holding Khai while dressed in a cowgirl outfit, while Gigi wrote, “Most loving (and spoiled) aunt (and sister).”
The tribute ended with a candid photo of the sisters laughing together, captioned: “Happy Birthday! I love you so much.”
