MILAN: Gigi Hadid and Vogue Italia have both apologized for the May Vogue Italia cover that showed the model with a dark skin tone, a distortion that unleashed a social media backlash and underlined the lack of diversity in the fashion industry.
In a post on Instagram on Thursday, Hadid said diversity in the industry needs to be addressed and that she does not want “to take opportunities away from anyone else.”
The cover shot by Steven Klein showed the normally blonde Hadid with dark hair and heavily bronzed skin, wearing a Dolce & Gabbana sequined legging ensemble with matching tiara. Inside, Hadid poses in beachwear in the spread titled “High Voltage.”
Hadid said the photo shoot that also included digital editing of the photo, “was not executed correctly” and agreed that the concerns raised were “valid.”
Social media posts decried the dark skin tone, many likening it to the blackface minstrels of the 19th century that promoted racial stereotypes. Others pointed out that Vogue Italia under its previous editor, the late Franca Sozzani, was a prominent advocate for racial diversity in fashion, notably with its famed “All Black” cover in 2008.
“I want to address this for those who were offended by the editing/retouch/coloring of the cover. Please know that things would have been different if my control of the situation was different,” the model said.
“Regardless, I want to apologize because I never want to diminish these concerns.”
Vogue Italia said Klein’s “vision was to create a beachwear-themed story with a stylized bronzing effect,” and that “throughout its history, Vogue Italia has respected and encouraged the creative viewpoints of commissioned photographers.”
But the fashion magazine added that it understood the issues it ignited among its readers.
“We sincerely apologize if we have caused any offense.”
Gigi Hadid, Vogue Italia apologize for darkened skin tone
Gigi Hadid, Vogue Italia apologize for darkened skin tone
- Social media posts decried the dark skin tone, many likening it to the blackface minstrels of the 19th century that promoted racial stereotypes.
- Vogue Italia said that it sincerely apologises if it has caused any offense.
Mini op-ed: Recognising a shift in how people relate to wellness, self-care
DUBAI: I have spent nearly a decade working in the beauty industry in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and Ramadan always has a way of prompting change; in habits, in priorities, and in the routines people have been carrying without question. Speaking from my own corner of the industry, one of these habits is often hair removal.
Saudi Arabia’s beauty and personal care market was valued at about $7.56 billion in 2025 and is set to grow to an estimated $8.03 billion in 2026. Within that growth, personal care encompassing the daily (sometimes unglamorous) routines hold the largest share. But market size alone does not tell the full story. A study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, found that three quarters of Saudi women experienced complications from temporary hair removal methods, including skin irritation, in-grown hairs and hyperpigmentation. A separate 2025 study published in the Majmaah Journal of Health Sciences found that laser hair removal was both the most considered and most commonly undergone cosmetic procedure among Saudi respondents, yet dissatisfaction with cosmetic procedure outcomes was reported by nearly half of all participants. The numbers point to a gap not in demand, but in results.
When I launched a specialized electrolysis practice in the UAE in 2016, it was with a clear gap in mind; safe, regulated, permanent hair removal for the region’s specific needs. The range of hair types here and the prevalence of conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, demanded a method that works across all of them. Electrolysis is the only method recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration and American Marketing Association as achieving true permanent results, regardless of hair color or type.
Despite this, awareness in Saudi Arabia remains limited. Part of this is familiarity, laser has dominated the conversation for years, and electrolysis, which requires more sessions and a licensed electrologist’s precision, has struggled to break through. Part of it is education. Many clients who come to us have never heard of electrolysis; they come because they have exhausted everything else.
Right now, Saudi Arabia is in the middle of a genuine transformation in how people relate to wellness and self-care. The beauty market is maturing, consumers are asking harder questions of the brands they choose and Vision 2030 has not just shaped the economy, it has shaped how Saudis are showing up in their own lives. In that context, the idea of choosing permanence over repetition lands differently.
Mariela Marcantetti is a beauty industry entrepreneur based between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
