You already know everything there is to know about her sister Gigi Hadid, but how much do you know about her younger, quieter sister Bella? During the Fall/Winter 2017 shows, she practically eclipsed her older sister on the catwalk! Here, RUH Magazine rounds up everything you need to know about her.
Bella and her mother Yolanda
Isabella “Bella” Khair Hadid was born in Los Angeles, California on April 23, 1995 to Palestinian real estate developer Mohamed Hadid and Dutch model Yolanda Van den Herik.
Bella honored by the Global Lyme Alliance | Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images
While Bella might be known for her raven locks, piercing green eyes, and pale skin, she used to look like the ultimate California dream girl, just like Gigi. In fact, Bella dyes her hair darker to differentiate herself from her older sister. Growing up, she was a nationally ranked equestrian competitor with dreams of competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
However, she had to abandon her goals in 2013 when she was stricken with Chronic Lyme Disease (CYD). Her mother Yolanda and brother Anwar also suffer from CYD. Together, they work hard to raise awareness about the disease – in fact, Bella was honored at the annual Global Lyme Alliance’s ‘Uniting for a Lyme-Free World’ Gala last year.
Bella makes her NYFW debut at Desigual | Photo: Courtesy of Desigual
In 2014, Bella began studying photography at Parsons School of Design in New York City but dropped out when she signed with IMG Models. Her first-ever runway walk was at New York Fashion Week for Desigual, and she walked again later that year in Los Angeles for Tom Ford. Her star rose quickly: by 2015, she was walking in major shows at all four Fashion Weeks, including appearances at Marc Jacobs in New York, Giles in London, Bottega Veneta in Milan, and Balmain in Paris. By the end of the year, she was named 2015’s ‘Breakout Star’ by Models.com.
Bella casually debuts a bag she designed for Chrome Hearts | Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images
In 2016, she continued to stun the fashion world with her graceful walk and stunning beauty, walking in dozens of shows and booking several magazine covers and campaigns. She was also named ‘Model of the Year’ at the GQ Men of the Year Awards and landed the role of Dior Makeup’s brand ambassador. In addition to all of these impressive accolades, Bella also got the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream by walking in the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
The model eventually put her love of photography to good use, shooting her longtime friends Jesse Jo Stark and Laurie Lynn, the mother-daughter duo behind the Chrome Hearts brand, for W Magazine. The collection she collaborated on with Chrome Hearts debuted at Paris Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2017, which means it will be arriving on retail shelves in a few months.
Photo: Courtesy of @BellaHadid
As you might have already guessed, Bella and Gigi are very close, often booking runway gigs and campaigns together. They also spend a lot of their free time with the same cadre of “It” girl BFFs, including Kendall Jenner, Jordyn Woods, and Hailey Baldwin. Bella and Gigi have engaged in activism together in New York City, taking to the streets to help protest the Muslim travel ban by the Trump administration.