DUBAI: Supermodel Gigi Hadid has unveiled the latest collection for her new brand, Guest in Residence.
Titled “Varsity Funk,” the limited-edition collection features a color palette of sage, baby blue, orange and yellow and plays on American high school uniform design elements. From bomber jackets in cashmere, to similarly soft rugby shirts, the new line is comfort dressing at its most chic.
The collection dropped on Sunday, but a number of items are already sold out or low in stock.
The cashmere knitwear brand was founded in New York by Hadid, who took to Instagram in September to share what prompted her to start her own label.
“Over the last handful of years, I didn’t want to be backed into starting my own line just because there was an offer on the table or a deal to be made,” the US Dutch Palestinian model wrote to her 76.2 million followers.
As a result, the 27-year-old catwalk star said she pushed back multiple opportunities until she found a path that “felt genuine” for her to take.
“The earliest days of Guest in Residence came about when I started to question the cashmere market, and those answers gave me a path,” she wrote, captioning a series of images that featured her colorful knitwear designs. “100% cashmere is 100% cashmere; but in the past, it is a material that, at its most integral state, has been made exclusive.
“I believe that because of its sustainable qualities: natural and made to cherish and to pass down— cashmere is a luxury that should be more accessible,” she added.
The model hopes her brand will encourage investment in quality pieces at reasonable prices, “and a wardrobe that can grow and change with your style, that can endure life with you, and that can become heirlooms.”
In the summer, the model shared the behind-the-scenes process of creating her knitwear line. She posted a gallery of images showing herself hard at work, as well as the fabric swatches, the brand’s logo, clothing tags and piles of sweaters, in addition to her wearing lavender knitwear.
Also seen in the photos were stylist and fashion editor Gabrielle Karefa-Johnson, knitwear designer CJ Kim and fashion publicist Kevin McIntosh Jr.
Hadid is one of the most sought-after fashion stars. She has walked for renowned fashion houses, fronted high-profile advertising campaigns and landed covers of prestigious publications all over the world.
