Gigi Hadid is fully embracing fashion’s current obsession with the babydoll trend. The model surprised fans and aspiring models at a Victoria’s Secret event in Miami ahead of Swim Week, where she showed off a feminine look with a twist that will give some millennials flashbacks.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupThe Palestinian-American supermodel has been an angel since 2015 and a face of the brand. So it was a huge surprise when she showed up at the open casting call event at Dadeland Mall on Friday.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupGigi wore a pale butter-yellow babydoll mini dress layered over a pair of loose light-wash jeans embellished with crystal details scattered throughout the denim. The look was very early 2000s-inspired, blending soft coquette energy with the relaxed oversized styling that has dominated street style lately.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupShe paired the romantic top with metallic gold strappy heels, layered necklaces, chunky gold bangles, and beachy waves. The fitted bodice and flared skirt of the babydoll top gave the outfit a playful silhouette, while the baggy jeans balanced the hyper-feminine look.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupThe babydoll trend itself has quietly become one of fashion’s biggest returns this year and originally exploded in popularity during the late ‘90s and early 2000s thanks to brands like Betsey Johnson.
Now, the look has embraced a softer, more wearable lens, with fashionistas pairing babydoll dresses and camisoles with everything from biker boots to oversized jeans.
Gigi Hadid and Victoria's Secret
Beyond the fashion, Hadid knows better than most just how nerve-racking an event like a Victoria’s Secret casting call can feel for aspiring models.
© CNBCThe model has reflected on the emotional journey behind booking her very first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show back in 2015. In a video shared by the brand ahead of the show’s 2025 return, Hadid revealed that she actually auditioned multiple times before finally making it. “I think I tried out two or three times before I got it, so you can imagine what I felt when I got my first show,” she shared while becoming emotional.
At one point, Hadid teared up reflecting on her younger self and the criticism she faced at the time. “The world was so hard on her, and not just me, it's hard on girls,” she said before adding, “I look back at pictures of that time, and I’m like, ‘I was the s**t.’”
© GettyAt the time of her debut, Hadid also openly addressed the scrutiny surrounding her body during fashion month and Victoria’s Secret casting season. “No, I don’t have the same body type as other models in shows,” she wrote in a candid Instagram post in 2015. “No, I’m not the first or the last model of my type in this industry.”
Her honesty resonated with fans who appreciated seeing one of fashion’s biggest names speak openly about the pressures models face behind the scenes.
© GettyOver the years, Hadid has become one of Victoria’s Secret’s defining modern faces, walking in the 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2024 shows. When the runway spectacle returned last year, she opened the event by rising from beneath the stage.
