In early August, model Gigi Hadid teased her latest social media endeavor: her debut fashion brand, Guest in Residence. Behind-the-scenes footage of Hadid’s design process caused an instant stir on the internet; On Monday, Hadid followed up with a pre-release Instagram post that reads:
“We are guests in residence of the clothes we own: they have had a life before us and hopefully, if we take care of them, a life after us. We are guests-in-residence of our physical bodies, of the homes we live in, and of this planet. For me, a ‘guest in residence’ is also someone who feels at home. I thought of my favorite types of people…the ones who go out of their way to show up at any door, land in any country, sit at any table, with a sense of comfort and wonder at the people in front of them and the world around them. . With all of this in mind, we’ve created pieces for you to take on life, from the most vivid adventures to the quietest moments. Launching at 9am EST — tomorrow @GuestinResidence 100% cashmere.”
Today, Hadid, a self-described “lover of all things cozy,” debuts her 100 percent cashmere fashion knitwear brand exclusively on the Guest in Residence website.
Ahead of the launch, Hadid spoke with WWD about Guest in Residence’s debut collection, which is made up of 21 staple styles in myriad colorways (a total of 114 pieces in all) and is priced from $95 to $795, with most of the collection between $195 and $395. Guest in Residence’s cashmere is sourced in Inner Mongolia and manufactured in China.
Here, Hadid talks with WWD about launching Guest in Residence and becoming a founder and creative director.
WWD: First of all, where and when did Guest in Residence start?
Gigi Hadid: For years, I have wanted and understood that the next step in my career is to create and put out something of my own. I’ve gotten my feet wet in a lot of different types of design through my collaborations, so it felt like a natural progression, but I never wanted to force it because I got an offer or a deal. I think the ones I got felt like something I would force myself into rather than wait for something that felt genuine to come to mind.
Over the years, I’ve thought about what kind of product I’d like to put out into the world, where I don’t feel like it’s a waste or something that’s overproduced right now that no one needs… There was a time when I thought about cashmere. and wanted to understand the market: why a sweater that is marketed as 100 percent cashmere can sell for $3,000 and also sell for $90. I never understood that and wanted to learn. Just before COVID-19, I was in Milan and I went to different cashmere houses to try to understand why they sat in the market where they did. I decided there was a niche for me, which was to offer this luxury item that I feel has a history of being exclusive from this price point, and bring it to a place where everyone deserves a luxury item, everyone deserves a sustainable material. that if they are taken care of they can last for decades and pass from generation to generation; really try to encourage people to invest in their wardrobe and not waste it.
WWD: You mentioned past collaborations [Frankies Bikinis, Tommy Hilfiger and more] — How would you say those experiences have been different since you now became the founder and creative director?
GH: I was so lucky to be able to learn from some of the best brands. Not only on the fashion and creative side, but also in some of the best companies in the world: having their infrastructure as a kind of “baby cradle” in which they held me while I became a creative. There’s a lot to learn throughout the process, whether it’s time management or the confidence to lead a team and brainstorm and brainstorm. I’ve worked with so many types of people, which is great for being a model in general. We are facing a completely new team every day and the ability to adapt between those teams is something that is a very good life skill. I always say, “If you pay attention, look around and listen, you can learn amazing things, beyond modeling, in this job.”
WWD: When you are designing, what is your process? You mentioned everyday luxury – any specific muse and inspiration?
GH: In general, whether it’s for this or anything else, my creative process really starts with closing my eyes and imagining the world where this client or person lives, what they do, how many different types of people can be in these garments – all the possibilities. Where do the clothes take us from? I try to really close my eyes and think about someone going through their day, what they need and what I and my family and friends need. That applies more to our collections that will be released later in the year that are more focused on creative direction, with a character or concept, but for this main collection, we release first, this is our exclusive collection of pieces that will live the year. They’ll be offered in different colors and weights depending on the season, but these are our year-round garments, our signature shapes: sweatshirts, our signature hoodie, crew neck, cardigan, unisex cardigan, robe, hats… things like that.
But it still requires the same creative process that I think of myself every day: through the seasons, through the changes of the seasons, what’s useful to people and then just trying to turn it into something high-quality and simple enough that hundreds of people can actually put this on and completely find their own style in it.
WWD: I was originally going to ask, “How would you describe the Guest in Residence customer?”, but it seems like it’s designed for everyone and everyone.
GH: Yes, our first campaign is called “The Yearbook”, which is 100 years old. [newborn] to 100, all styled after our main collection, but based on your own personality and style. That’s what I wanted to show. If you invest in a beautiful, simple, high-quality piece, it can last you a lifetime and can also be passed on to family and friends of any age; can be found in these pieces by designing them according to their own personality. That’s important to me, so I think we really celebrated that in our first campaign.
WWD: So this line will include children’s clothing?
GH: So actually, for this first campaign, the kids are styled from the main adult collection, which is hilarious. It’s fun. You know, in my head, we’re already designing for next year and kids are definitely something on the horizon.
WWD: Regarding the people you feature in the campaign, are they friends, hired models, a mix?
GH: It’s a mixture of people, some I know, some are from the street.
WWD: I know you joked around working with Gabriella [Karefa-Johnson, stylist and creative consultant] and CJ Kim [design director; previously at The Row] — Can you tell me about collaborating with the people you love in the industry in this line?
GH: I’ve been in this industry for a decade and I always say that the most beautiful and important parts have been the in-betweens of the images that people see coming out. The memories we create, the relationships we build through these collaborations.
Gabby is someone who started when she was an assistant at Vogue – it was my first Vogue story and we became fast friends on set. I’ve seen her rise as a star, really, and she’s now a global publisher and a powerhouse in her own sense. Rosella [Raffi, vice president of brand marketing and communications; previously senior director celebrity and influencer marketing], who is on our team, I worked at Tommy, he was there for my four seasons. Kevin [McIntoch Jr., founder or KMJR.World Consulting agency, working in tandem on press, strategy and seeding] he is one of my great friends that I met through Virgilio [Abloh] – well, actually, we probably met before that, but we became close and he’s someone I appreciate a lot. CJ: We just met when I was doing meetings to hire someone as lead designer, but he’s someone I immediately connected with and I have a lot of respect for his previous work.
All of these people and this team that I have come to build is very special to me because I can ask them to join me on this journey, and they mean a lot to me. I respect them and feel very lucky to work with them. It’s nice to be able to have this space where I can bring together a lot of people, who I knew would love each other. You get them all in an office space together and it’s like, “This is heaven.” Is the best.
WWD: Going back to what you were saying about special moments: with fashion month approaching, how do you look forward to those special moments at shows while balancing all of your roles?
GH: There are seasons where you have to prioritize some things over others and this season will be launch week for me. This is my new role and it’s what I have to focus on, but I’ll do shows here and there.
I’m excited to welcome so many to New York for fashion week and finally send so many of my friends out in this cashmere. It’s going to be amazing to see people in it. Honestly, it excites me.
WWD: What are the celebration plans for launch day?
GH: We’re just going to have a big team lunch the day of, and once we can get away from our desks, I want to have some fun getting together. We are just taking it day by day and doing our best.
WWD: Side question: as a model and a mother, would you ever want or imagine your daughter being a model?
GH: I want her to be what she wants to be. She has two parents who are really interested in a lot of different things and she’ll also have her own interests, so I’m excited to see what she wants to do.
WWD: Speaking of which, how do you see your multifaceted roles expanding as the years go by?
GH: This is such a new chapter for me. I’m just trying to enjoy and appreciate this moment and not rush into what’s next too quickly. If I continue to be creative and surround myself with people who inspire me, that comes naturally. I try not to put too much pressure on myself or feel like things with work start to get less genuine. I want to do things that I really enjoy and believe in, and that’s when my audience and clients can see that and it translates.
WWD: Last question: The release itself is huge, but are there any pieces within the line that you can’t wait to wear in public?
GH: My God, every time I walk out of the office I ask someone if I can wear a sweater and it’s always “No, let it.” Take it.” Hopefully that will change this week. I’m being patient and I deserve what’s coming, but I’m excited to use it all.
Now that it’s the end of summer, I really like our Stealth cardigan, which was the first piece I was really obsessed with. It’s a very cute short cardigan with a hook in the middle so you can wear it as a top or open. It’s called the Stealth cardigan because it can take us into winter with the feeling that, you know when you go out and maybe you have a little dress on and you want to wear a nice leather jacket, but it’s a little too cold for that, but you don’t want to wear a sweater huge or a huge coat? This Sealth cardigan was made in a shape that you can hide under any jacket and it just adds this layer of warmth without necessarily looking like you’re wearing a bulky sweater under something. It’s also the size you can roll it up in your bag and take it to a Broadway show. It’s just a nice transitional season piece and I’m always cold on summer nights anyway, I always have a sweater with me so right now.
Also the unisex cardigan that I’ve been wearing a lot in private, and the crew neck. I’ve also been wearing a lot, I love the unisex crew neck.
Source: wwd.com