Similar to the struggles of back-to-work shopping at the beginning of each new year, there’s a certain challenge that comes with deciding what to wear on the first day of a new job. Especially if you’ve recently switched careers.
Do you play it safe, albeit with a stylish edge, in your Monday through Friday best tailoring? Or, do you attempt a sartorial reinvention with pieces you mightn’t have previously dared bring into the boardroom? (As long as they don’t violate your workplace’s HR codes, of course).
This was a conundrum Bella Hadid recently faced with the launch of her alchemy-revealing fragrance line, Ôrəbella. But when you’re a supermodel, you obviously use any medium as a runway, even if you are off to a fresh career start.
For her first day officially promoting the trio of perfumes, Hadid hard launched her beauty empire era with an entirely new wardrobe. Shifting from her recent cowgirl-inspired aesthetic to one fitting of a CEO, Hadid stepped out in Manhattan with two contrasting “business” looks.
The first was the rare vintage find of our dreams: an ethereal slip dress from Christian Dior designed by John Galliano. Hadid is no stranger to archival pulls—need we remind you of the strapless 1950s Dior gown, sourced from Aralda Vintage, worn to the Prince’s Trust Gala in New York? Yet, this takes the cherry on the sartorial cake.
Later, Hadid changed into something a little bit more sporty. (Perhaps something she’d wear to woo investors over a game of pickleball?) The head-to-toe Ferragamo ensemble featured a pair of slim-cut capri pants and a cropped bomber.
This impromptu runway show feels especially pertinent as Hadid recently revealed her unofficial and (potentially) indefinite step back from modelling. “After 10 years of modelling, I realised I was putting so much energy and love and effort into something that, in the long run, wasn’t necessarily giving it back to me,” Hadid said of her career.
Irrespective of whether she’ll appear on runways or editorials, it’s apparent fashion will always be a tool for Hadid to communicate her emotions. The message is loud and clear, we’re receiving the businesswoman special, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
