Gigi Hadid Says Motherhood Made Her More Confident On and Off the Runway

Gigi Hadid has walked hundreds of runways and shot dozens of covers. Somehow, she says, it's raising her daughter that's taught her the most about confidence.

When Gigi Hadid became a mother, her daily routine shifted, but it also changed the way she saw herself, both in front of the camera and away from it.

Gigi Hadid attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" on May 04, 2026 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

In a recent cooking segment for Vogue France, where she prepared an Arnold Palmer and a pasta dish, Hadid reflected on how far she's come since her earliest days in front of a camera, recalling her first Guess campaign as a baby and the years it took to find her footing in the industry.

For Hadid, motherhood brought her a new kind of self-assurance. "Once you find those new confidences in yourself from your personal life, I think that they kind of trickle into every part," she said.

Now that she has a 5-year-old daughter, Khai, whom she welcomed with Zayn Malik, the supermodel is more intentional about her career choices, ensuring her schedule works around her daughter’s, particularly when Khai is spending time with her father.

Beyond scheduling, she's also become more selective about the projects she takes on, prioritizing ones that inspire her creatively. “That’s kind of the non-negotiable these days,” she said.

Even reaching her 50th magazine cover, she shared, isn't just about the final image. It's about the process behind it: "I don't see just the photo of the cover... I remember the trip and the hotel we stayed at and just the personalities behind the image."

Her recent Vogue France cover interview echoes the same mindset. Hadid told the magazine she's found a kind of serenity at 31, saying, "Right now, my friends are saying to me, 'Gigi, what's going on? You seem 19 again.' I think I'm just... serene."

Donatella Versace and Gigi Hadid seen backstage ahead of the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 | Source: Getty Images

These days, Hadid has learned to balance her private life as a mother in Pennsylvania and her public career. Asked what last made her smile, she didn't hesitate. It was singing a childhood nursery rhyme to her daughter in the car, a moment she described in her own words as bringing her "tears of joy."