Gig Hadid is apologizing after being called out online over her new Vogue Italia cover, which shows her with skin so dark that people accused her of wearing "blackface."
“I want to apologize because my intention is never to diminish those concerns or take opportunities away from anyone else, and I hope this can be an example to other magazines and teams in the future,” she tweeted in a lengthy explanation.
In the shot by photographer Steven Klein, Hadid, a 23-year-old U.S. model of Dutch and Palestinian descent, who is usually fair-skinned, is shown heavily tanned and wearing a sequined jumpsuit, posing in the arms of a male model.
In her tweet, she wrote she had no input into the photo shoot.
“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," she wrote. "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.”
Vogue issued a separate apology, saying, "Throughout its history, Vogue Italia has respected and encouraged the creative viewpoints of commissioned photographers. In our latest cover shoot by Steven Klein, the vision was to create a beachwear-themed story with a stylized bronzing effect. We understand that the result has caused some debate with our readers, and we sincerely apologize if we have caused any offence."
Hadid was also criticized for a November 2015 Vogue Italia cover in which her skin was much darker than normal as she wore various Afro wigs.