As an international supermodel, Gigi Hadid is no stranger to the pressures of body image. Sure, her skin is flawless, her body is lean and her smile has melted the heart of a One Direction-er, but the 21-year-old has her fair share of internal criticism. “When I was a competitive athlete (Gigi qualified for the Junior Olympics in volleyball), I used to be so focused on being perfect that my coaches would take me out of competing all together,” Hadid explains.
“I’d focus on my mistakes which would breed more missteps – a domino effect. Until I learned to change the channel, to re-focus, re-set. It was my mistakes, my imperfections that motivated me most.” So, it’s not surprising that Hadid was Reebok’s first choice as their new ambassador for their #PerfectNever campaign, a movement focused on shattering the illusions of perfection and empowering women to be the best version of themselves through embracing and learning from their imperfections. As a keen boxer, Hadid shows her fighting spirit in Rebbok’s campaign imagery, clad in the brand’s latest collection, shadow punching her way through a black and white video.
We’ve all been there. But, unlike many of her peers the American sweetheart prefers to handle self-doubt in the gym, rather than at the bar. “Working out isn’t only physical for me,” Hadid says. “It’s mental. It helps me escape the noise in my head. It’s the only time my mind goes quiet.” Although her Instagram account has pulled in 23 million followers, it’s not without the odd troll. “Your comment won’t get me down,” she told critics via Instagram this summer, “but next time, please think about the young women who may read body-judgment comments and judge themselves as they see their bodies growing and therefore naturally changing, too.”
