From the outside, the life of a Victoria's Secret model might seem pretty fabulous. But for Bella Hadid, her time with the brand caused some serious damage to her self-esteem. And she's ready to spill the tea.
In a recent sit-down with Marie Claire magazine, the world-class supermodel opened up about her past issues with the lingerie brand. From 2016 to 2018, Bella was one of the biggest names on the runway at the annual VS fashion shows, but during that time, Hadid experienced harassment at the hands of the brand's former president, Ed Razek. But the issues didn't stop there. "I never felt powerful on a runway, like, in my underwear," Bella confessed of her time dominating three consecutive Victoria's Secret fashion shows.
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Neha Prakash from Marie Claire went on to ask Bella if those years working with the brand left a mark on the young model and how she felt about "femininity or sexiness." "Absolutely," the 25-year-old admitted. "I look at my body now as a temple. Before, it kind of got to the point where my body wasn't owned by me." While modeling had always been a passion of Hadid's, her years with the brand led to an unhealthy relationship with her sense of self. "My life for so many years revolved around only working and...how I was going to lose that weight for one of those shows," Bella explained. "Now, I just am who I am. And I don't need to change for anybody else."
These days, Victoria's Secret has committed to ditching its toxic image and embracing a more body-positive approach to women's fashion with a total rebrand. And they've enlisted the help of many famous influencers and models to drive the message forward. In a surprising turn of events, Bella agreed to join! "It took me almost a year and a half to take the meeting with them," she admitted to the magazine. "But I know firsthand how Victoria's Secret used to make me feel, and now, going onto set every day, there is just an energy that's switched."
You can check out Bella's full interview here.
