Curled up on the couch of her fabulous New York apartment, Gigi Hadid looks like any other twenty-something, minus the fabulous apartment. Hair undone, a fresh dewy face, and sweatpants to shield from the crisp chill that has now entered the New York air. A part of you envies her for her effortless beauty, but the moment she opens her mouth with a welcoming greeting, you feel like you are back with your best friend whom you’ve known all your life. I spent the afternoon with Gigi above the New York skyline uncovering the real story (and love story) behind Hollywood’s favorite princess. Her down-to-earth vibe is juxtaposed by the walls covered in chic, black and white pictures of her with every A-list celebrity at every A-list event. Now you know this isn’t your typical New York twenty-something. Far from.

Once upon a time, a Malibu princess moved to the Kingdom of New York. But instead of following the rules of the current royalty, she built a dynasty of her own.

The life of Gigi Hadid is…complicated. She grew up in Los Angeles to real estate mogul Mohammed Hadid and former model Yolanda Foster. The princess of Hollywood’s lineage can quite literally be traced back to royalty, as her father’s side of the family descended from Daher Al Omer, the Prince of Nazareth and Sheikh of Galilee; not too shabby of a family tree. But the tree has become a forest since the split of her parents in 2000 and each family grew into new dynamics for Gigi. But this heroine sees no place for tragedy in her life. Rather, she looks to each experience as an opportunity to get stronger and just “deal with it”- her personal life motto. 

Though she is young, she is wise beyond her years. Balancing a hectic career and a public life isn’t easy, especially at the youthful age of 20.It goes without saying that Hadid’s entrance into Hollywood began at a very early age. But in 2013 she moved from L.A. to NewYork in order to pursue her modeling career and studies at The New School. With all this transition going on, Hadid had a learning curve of growth to catch up on. The Gigi we see in the magazines doesn’t have a care in the world, but Hadid tells me that finding yourself, and more importantly staying true to yourself, is the most important, yet hardest, thing anyone can do. With so many influences around her, it’s admirable that this young star has made such a name for herself and proven to have the maturity and grace we haven’t seen for some time in YoungHollywood. Her charming personality, bubbly spirit and thirst for adventure and pushing boundaries has made Hadid a magnet for celebrity friends and designers. Hadid has certainly established herself as a serious model, and brands now battle for her name. You can see her in editorials for Dior and Fendi, and developing collaborations with major mogul Tommy Hillfiger in her Tommy X Gigi line to launch this Spring. All dreams seem to be coming true, and there’s every reason to believe that her fairytale will have a happy ending. 

This heroine sees no place for tragedy in her life. Rather, she looks to each experience as an opportunity to get stronger and just “deal with it”- her personal life motto. 

What has been the hardest challenge for you coming into this industry as such a young adult?

My mom was so successful in this industry, that coming into it I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t live up to the expectations set by her. But she offered up so much wisdom and advice to me, I knew she had full confidence and that really helped me to know that I could do this. It’s important to be true to yourself and have full confidence. There are so many people out there counting on your failure and waiting to watch you fall down; without a strong sense of self and confidence in your abilities from you and those around you, this job would be way more difficult. I’m so fortunate to have such a wonderful support base in my family

And what is it like now having your sister in this business with you? Do you ever compete for jobs? 

We love it! It’s so much fun to share this experience pretty much with my whole family. My younger brother is actually a successful model, too! It’s amazing to encourage each other and build each other up. Bella and I love to work together on shoots and in fashion shows, we actually are getting ready to walk together in New York Fashion Week next month. There’s such a strong bond between us, we could never be too competitive. I love seeing her succeed and cheer her on, and she does the same for me. I think it’s great that we get to go through this stage of life together. We’re so close in age and there are so many ways in which we get to help each other out and prepare each other to face some of the obstacles of this job. 

“A lot of people advise me to be more private with my life, but I’m not one to hide who I am…”

How have you adjusted to being in the public eye all the time?

You know, I’m really not! I actually get to do a lot of “normal” stuff. I go out for coffee, go shopping, hang out with my friends. It really is nice to be able to have those opportunities to live a relatively normal life. I love posting on Instagram and SnapChat so that my fans get to experience a little bit of [my life]. Most of the time, if I’m not working, I’m just hanging out with my boyfriend cooking or taking our dog on a walk. I hate to disappoint, but it’s not all glamorous photo shoots- though that is a really fun part of it!

How have your romantic relationships changed as your fame has grown?

I have always been very public with my relationships. A lot of people advise me to be more private with my life, but I’m not one to hide who I am or who I am with. It’s definitely caused a lot of stress on relationships. When dating, it’s difficult to balance busy schedules and make time for one another. My boyfriend [Zayn Malik], is really understanding. Our lives are crazy, but we do everything we can to make it work and make each other a priority. There has to be a level of respect and understanding for one another.

What do you see for yourself in the upcoming years? Will be seeing more or less of Gigi Hadid?

I’m not going anywhere! I love my work, and I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I love. With such wonderful fan and family support base I cannot wait to expand my career. I’ve done a few music videos, I’d be interested to see how I do with acting- though I have a feeling I’m too awkward to be any good.