If Bella Hadid was thinking about trying to make her own mark, distinct from older sister Gigi, then that red dress at Cannes was an excellent start.
Don’t worry - I’m not going to write an article that pitches these two sisters against each other. That’d be lazy and not very feminist. What I want to do instead is talk about how Bella is forging her own career through strategic choices that differ from Gigi’s. Why? Because there’s so much we can all learn and appreciate here. Sibling dynamics, commercial competition, and most importantly, personality.
The Hair
It just makes sense. If you’re starting a business in a crowded field, it’s strategic to differentiate yourself from the competition. Actually – it’s necessary. And it doesn’t get much more bam!different! than blonde against brunette. Bella told Allure magazine:
“I just have a darker personality. And my sister being blonde and me being brunette, it’s a good separation.”
“I put a blonde wig on and think it would be fun to go back, but I’m happy with my hair. Blondes are so angelic. My sister can get away with anything.”
The Catwalks and Campaigns
If signing with IMG models is a marker for modeling success, then Bella signing in 2014 and Gigi signing in 2011 are perfectly matched because Bella is three years younger than Gigi. They both had their catwalk debut in fall 2014 for Desigual, but Gigi’s meteoric rise to “supermodel” status can be contrasted to Bella’s slower burn, and I think there’s something we can all learn here.
Bella has never appeared in Sports Illustrated, appeared less in their mother’s reality TV show, The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills, and hasn’t tried out for the Victoria’s Secret show. I’m not being snobby, because self-defined commercial success is definitely admirable, but Bella is positioning herself in a different market. I think this is part of her strategy, and I like it. Why? Because Bella has now just been announced the new face of Dior Beauty and beauty campaigns for luxury labels are pretty much the holy grail of modeling.
The sister-to-sister good vibes
They still appear in campaigns together, they hang out together, they celebrate each others’ successes and they don’t get catty. How many of us can say the same thing about our relationships with our siblings?
I don’t have a sister, but I am lucky enough to have a few BFFs, and I know that I get competitive sometimes. When I researched these sisters for this post I remembered just how much us ladies need to stick together and help each other - blonde or brunette.
– Bri
Follow me: Instagram Twitter Portfolio Blog
Don’t forget to check out our latest courses: Chloe Morello: Building Your Audience on YouTube | Zanita Studio: Content Strategy for Bloggers | Ben Orkin: Food Styling & Photography Basics
You Should Also Read:
15 Questions With Supermodel Coco Rocha
So You Want To Be A Model?
3 Modelling Tips to Improve Your Blogger Game
