Only in fashion. Tommy Hilfiger explained in a new interview published on Wednesday, November 2, that Gigi Hadid wore a poncho in his fall 2015 fashion show because her body proportions weren’t quite up to snuff for his other designs.
“Our casting director said, ‘She doesn’t really fit because, you know, she’s not quite as tall as the other girls, she’s not quite as thin,’” the 65-year-old fashion designer told Yahoo Style’s Joe Zee. “So they put a red, white and blue poncho on her. It covered a lot of her body, unfortunately, but it received millions of hits.”
Hilfiger was so impressed by Hadid’s influence that he suggested that she and the brand partner up for a project.
“So I said, you know, why don’t we ask her to design a line with us — Gigi, come design this with me, we’ll do a Gigi x Tommy couture line,” he said. (The pair’s collaboration debuted in September — a nautical-inspired capsule collection full of high-waisted jeans, pea coats and cropped fisherman’s sweaters.)
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Hadid, 21, said working with the veteran designer was “so much fun.”
“We would literally close down the Tommy building in Midtown, like they were trying to kick us out,” she told the publication. “They thought of everything; they even made me cupcakes with my name on them. They made it very welcoming.”
“Designing with Tommy was an incredible experience,” she added. “Every time I see him it reminds me that being positive is so important. He’s always happy and welcoming and warm, and it trickles down to his entire company. Being nice is so important.”
This article originally appeared on www.usmagazine.com: Tommy Hilfiger: Gigi Hadid Wore a Poncho in Fashion Show Because She Wasn’t ‘Quite as Thin’ as Other Girls