When Gigi Hadid moved to New York from Los Angeles almost a decade ago, it was on the brink of a particularly bitter East Coast winter. Needless to say, the bone-chilling weather was a shock to the system. “I’m always the person who’s cold even when other people feel H๏τ,” says Hadid, with a sigh. Thankfully, her parents had planned ahead: They’d sent their then teenage daughter off to college at the New School with the cashmere sweaters she’d swiped from their wardrobe on cooler days in California. Her favorites were all stealthy chic: a gray turtleneck that fastened with leather straps (her mother’s) and an all-engulfing ʙuттon-up cable-knit cardigan from her father. With her life in a moment of transition—one both wildly exhilarating and bewildering—the cozy knits offered the reᴀssuring feeling of home. “Those were the only cashmere pieces I owned for a long time,” Hadid admits. “I still have them.”
I am speaking to the supermodel via Zoom; when she called me from a H๏τel room in London, she popped up on the screen dressed in—what else?—a gorgeous sunflower orange cashmere crewneck. Except this one isn’t a hand-me-down—it’s a sweater from her just-launched new label, Guest In Residence. “It’s the first time I’m wearing one of the new samples, and I love the color,” says Hadid, a little giddy with excitement. That sweater is part of a series of forever pieces—slim-fit joggers, hoodies, tanks, scarves, beanies, and the like—that come in a myriad of warm hues: bubble-gum pink, turmeric yellow, and cherry red, to name a few. There are limited-edition drops in the works as well, including one Hadid calls “varsity funk” that shows off her flair for color blocking on preppy shapes like the classic rugby.