Gigi Hadid recently got some pushback for a cover appearance on Vogue Italia in which she was interpreted as wearing blackface. On Thursday (May 3), she took to Twitter to apologize, claiming the shoot “wasn’t executed correctly” and described the actual lack of control she has over photo shoots and post-production editing.
The controversial image, taken by star photographer Steven Klien, shows Hadid with such a deep bronzing effect to her skin that many took it to be a racist overture.
Clearly, this style choice backfired, but Hadid’s response is noteworthy because she simultaneously takes full responsibility for people’s strong feelings about the cover shoot while clarifying that the direction of certain photo shoots are more complicated than they seem.
“It’s our responsibility to acknowledge those issues and communicate through them to work towards a more diverse society,” she commented at the bottom of the graphic. Read her full apology and explanation below:
— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) May 3, 2018