Bella Hadid Covers i-D Fall 2022, Lensed by Sam Rock While Bella Searches For Her Truth AOC Fashion

Supermodel Bella Hadid share a cover of i-D Magazine’s Fall 2022 ‘Ultra’ issue. In Bella’s case, she is ‘Ultranova!’. Carlos Nazario styles Bella in body-baring looks for Alaia, Balenciaga, Comme des Garcons, Gucci, Jacquemus, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Marni, Mowalola, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Schiaparelli and more.

Photographer Sam Rock [IG] captures Bella. Douglas Greenwood interviews the super in: '“Bella Hadid: People can make up stories about me. My truth will be seen.” The interview is largely about Bella’s anxiety, which AOC has covered many times over. No need to rehash it.

[Note that Sam Rock is taking a year off to search new paths into the future — probably still involving photography. These short comments are an interesting juxtaposition to Bella’s own inner reflections.]

Greenwood writes: “I imagine people look at Bella and think that she’s got a charmed life, but it’s incredibly lonely sometimes when you’re travelling the world alone, always having to perform, and not wanting to complain or they’ll replace you,” Karen [Elson] says to us. “I know a lot of people look up to her, which is why her honesty and vulnerability are really admirable, because she’s not just showing the fantasy, she’s being real. That to me is real courage.”

Pictures suggest that Bella is frequently in fashion capitols in the company of Marc Kalman. He is not mentioned in the interview. Yet, Bella must be sustained with some positivity in their relationship, which appears to be very solid.

Queen Elizabeth’s Precious Words

As the world is touched — for the most part — by the death of Queen Elzabeth II, I think of her quote:

“Grief is the price we pay for love.”

AOC has deep respect for Bella’s Palestinian roots, but she doesn’t used the interview to speak up for the Palestinian people at all. It’s all about Bella’s anxiety [and anger, whether she admits it or not ] over being the only Palestinian heritage person on the set. Yikes!

Does Bella understand just how many activists have received death threats?

Greenwood notes that in the past, publications have framed Bella’s heritage as a point of contention – or erased it completely, like when she and Gigi donated their fashion week salaries to refugees in Ukraine and Palestine, and only the former was reported on.

Hadid Sisters Join Mica Arganaraz in Donating Fall 2022 Fashion Week Earnings to Humanity AOC Fashion

If neither Bella or Greenwood — who writes a solid story — is willing to mention the publication, I will.

It was Vogue who edited out Palestinian relief as part of the story about the fashion week donations by the Hadid sisters and Mica Arganaaz.

Bella’s father, Mohamed Hadid, is a refugee from the 1948 Palestinian exodus. The Hadid family lineage stretches back to Dahir al-Umar, a ruler of Northern Palestine in the 18th century, who was known for his tolerance of all religions.

I find it hard to believe that at her level of success, Bella Hadid can’t say “I love Vogue, they have given me so many professional opportunities to really rise as a model, but I was really upset for myself and for the suffering of MY [or the] Palestinian people, when they were written out of the fashionweek philanthropy story about Gigi and me.”

Could Bella Hadid really lose her supermodel status because she made a statement like that one? If this is the truth, then we have made no progress since the death of George Floyd. I do not believe this possibility about our fashion industry.

Does Bella’s anxiety prevent her from speaking up about her values, and so she doesn’t? Then she reprimands herself for not speaking up for the Palestinians.

These interviews represent real opportunities for young models to speak truth to power with facts and a history lesson. Do you think Jane Fonda lets these opportunities pass? Not for a nanosecond. Reporting on her cancer this week, all she talked about was the chemo not stopping her environmental action and protests.

Especially in i-D magazine, it’s hard to believe that they don’t welome activism commentary in their interview coverage. i-D is not Vogue. And Vogue today is not the same ‘ol Vogue.

Bella could have easily said: “When is watched the brilliant voice of Abu Akleh be snuffed out before my very eyes on tv, I felt so, so sad for the Palestinians in Jenin” — or “my people”, if she prefers.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent well-known throughout the Arab world, Britain and America was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military raid on May 11 in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians, along with Abu Akleh's colleagues who were with her at the time, have said from day one that she was killed by Israeli fire. Five days ago the Israeli army agreed.

What is the status at Jenin?

Bella could use her platform to educate us. Are we at a tipping point with the settlements and there will be turning back into a two-state solution? We’re close. Hopes are not running high — and both sides share responsibility for why not.

Imagine if Bella had used this interview to stand up for reproductive rights for women, now under total assault in America. Imagine if she had begged young progressives to vote — because they don’t vote in midterms. But with Roe going down by a right-wing Supreme Court, young women are shaken, from all I am reading.

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