Gigi Hadid won’t put up with bullies, no matter how famous they are. On Oct. 3, fashion editor and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson caught Kanye West‘s attention for criticising the “White Lives Matter” apparel he debuted at his Yeezy presentation during Paris Fashion Week.
“The t-shirts this man conceived, produced, and shared with the world are pure violence. There is no excuse, there is no art here,” Karefa-Johnson wrote on her Instagram Story after the show. In retaliation, West posted several photos of Karefa-Johnson directly on his Instagram page (most of which have since been deleted), mocking her fashion and writing that he feels she is not someone to be taken seriously.
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Having befriended and collaborated with Karefa-Johnson in the past, Hadid quickly came to the journalist’s defence on social media. “You wish u had a percentage of her intellect,” she wrote underneath one of West’s posts, as captured by Comments by Celebs. “You have no idea haha…. If there’s actually a point to any of your sh*t she might be the only person that could save u. As if the ‘honor’ of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You’re a bully and a joke.” Hadid also posted on her own Instagram Story, writing that Karefa-Johnson is “one of the most important voices” in fashion.
In response to West’s public attack against its global fashion editor at large, Vogue also issued a formal statement in support of Karefa-Johnson, saying, “Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable. Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.”
After deleting the original posts he made about Karefa-Johnson, West shared more information about the “private meeting” Vogue alluded to in its post. “GABBY IS MY SISTER. IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDN’T MEET WITH GABRIELLE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR 2 HOURS THEN WE WENT TO DINNER AT FERDIE,” he wrote on his Instagram. “WE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER FOR THE WAY WE MADE EACH OTHER FEEL WE ACTUALLY GOT ALONG AND HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THE FIGHT FOR ACCEPTANCE IN A WORLD THAT’S NOT OUR OWN,” West continued. He claimed that the entire meeting was filmed by director Baz Luhrmann and is currently being edited.
“SHE DISAGREED I DISAGREED WE DISAGREED,” he said, concluding that, “AT LEAST WE BOTH LOVE FERDIE AND FASHION.” Hadid commented on the post, as screenshotted by Comments by Celebs, writing, “It’s Gabriella*.”
In an Instagram Story message on Oct. 3, Karefa-Johnson acknowledged that she “has been through it” and is “exhausted.” Still, she said she was “so moved by and grateful for the outpouring of love I’ve received (here and elsewhere) over the last 24 hours. I feel so blessed to belong to a community that would show up for me like this.” She also promised to keep speaking her mind and trying “to honor my truth.”
