Gigi Hadid's Vogue Italia cover was probably very exciting for her to share with her fans, but unfortunately, it received a heap load of negative reactions as people accused her of Blackface. On the cover, Gigi is sitting on a man's lap and aside for her crown and flashy outfit, people were confused as to why she was so so much darker than she normally is. "In case you can’t tell who that is, it’s Gigi Hadid, who has been edited into another person and given such a deep “””tan””” that it’s insulting to even try to pretend that it’s not blackface," one Twitter user shared.
It seems as though people have been going at it all day and Gigi has now responded with a lengthy statement on the matter. "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," she said via Twitter and Instagram. "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 concluded: "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."
Read her full statement below.