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Gigi Hadid and I are sitting in the middle of the Miu Miu store in Miami’s Design District, and the whole place has turned into a fashion fishbowl, which is par for the course at Art Basel. Camila Cabello and Gabrielle Union swoop in for hugs. Photographers secure their shots with with rapid clicks. Teen fans attempt to film her from the boutique’s gleaming windows, while a bodyguard stoically watches them watching her. “It’s fine,” says Hadid, a friend of the brand, who—at 29 years old—has now been hyper-famous for nearly half of her life.
Seconds later, the model deftly directs me toward her newest endeavor—a carefully chosen rack of clothes for Miu Miu Select, a project that invites friends of the label to curate a collection of their favorite pieces, the same way curators edit a gallery wall at the annual art fair. (Past “selectors” include Emily Ratajkowski, Chloë Sevigny, and Alexa Chung.) “It seems like a lot [of clothes],” Hadid says, “But then this weird thing happens with instinct, where the clothes kind of disappear except the ones that are exactly right.”
Below, Hadid talks more about the viral Miu Miu miniskirt, date-night dressing, and the best advice she ever got from Miuccia Prada.
Why do you think Miu Miu is so popular right now?
It’s sweet but hardcore. It’s cool, but the quality is incredible, and so is the eye for design. It’s cool because it’s so beautifully done. Also, I think Miu Miu feels like a real girl, and not just a label. It has different sides of its personality. It’s simple, it’s weird, it’s flirtatious…it lets you be lots of different things, like how Miuccia [Prada] refuses to just be one person.
Do you call her Miuccia to her face?
When I talk to her directly, I call her Miuccia. When I talk about her, I call her “Mrs. Prada.” I was so nervous the first time we met, I can’t even tell you. I was a younger model in a fitting [in 2019], and she came in and looked me over and saw the runway look I was going to wear. I’ll never forget it though.
What made it so memorable?
Because she was very quick and knew exactly what she wanted, but she was very nice. It was in and out and she didn’t second-guess anything; she knew exactly how the clothes should look in her mind. She was so kind to everyone, but also, really decisive without apology. It was like a lightbulb went off. I thought, “Wow, I can learn from this.” You don’t have to apologize for having a vision or a point of view. Be kind about it, and patient, but it’s okay to know what you want.
What do you typically wear when you want to dress up?
For parties, I like to keep it a little bit boyish, because to me, that reads cooler and then you might feel a little more in control. Get a good oversized jacket or vest. Give yourself a little bit of slouchy volume and power up top. You’ll feel a little taller, and then you can layer it with a T-shirt or a tank, so when you’re more comfortable, you can unwind a bit. It’s okay to not stay the same, even in the span of a night.
Miu Miu Old Leather Mini Skirt
How about on date night?
For a first date—this is controversial but listen—I like a little something sexy and something that you can move around in. You want to make sure you feel like yourself, not what someone else wants you to be. So for me, I love a dress pant—a wool trouser and a sexy little cotton tank top and a heel. It can be a kitten heel if you want, but just a little height. I know that’s not standard advice—like, work pants—but it’s very cool. And for any other date, a tiny miniskirt. Just go for it! Be strategic: it’s a base layer, and it’s there to show you off. Do it with a little tee and a big jacket, and—again, controversial—I would do it with a real heel, with some height. A very short skirt with a high heel is great, no matter how tall or short you are.
This interview has lightly been edited and condensed for clarity.
