Gigi Hadid’s New Shade Of Blonde Is Her Brightest Color Yet

Gigi Hadid has been on quite the hair color journey — from blonde, to red, to brown, back to blonde again. Just a few weeks ago, the model debuted a chocolate brown hair color for the new Moschino campaign, joining the ranks of celebrities going brunette in the past few months (including Billie Eilish and Florence Pugh). In 2021, she shut down the Met Gala with luscious copper locks, similar to the red hair color she had earlier in the year for her appearance in the Fall/Winter 2021 Versace fashion show. Now, Gigi Hadid’s hair has returned to its sunny roots with perhaps her blondest shade yet.

Yesterday, stylist Elizabeth Sulcer shared photos of the model’s transformation, which features her newly blonde hair with long waves. The fresh shade of blonde is certainly lighter than her signature sandy color, giving Hadid a super summery vibe even in the dead of winter. The model’s hair was styled by celebrity hairstylist Panos Papandrianos and her soft, natural makeup was done by Erin Parsons using Maybelline, a brand with which the model has held an ambassadorship for several years.

The new bright blonde is the work of Keith Shore, a colorist at Serge Normant who has worked with both the Hadid sisters for several years. “I had been making [her hair] red for about a year now and they decided to change it for this shoot specifically,” Shore tells TZR. “Gigi said she was ready for a change although she loved the rich tones and might want to return to them.”

Shore says that the sun-soaked blonde shade was chosen by the shoot’s stylist, Paul Hanlon, who sent the colorist swatches of what he wanted. “We actually did her color the morning of the shoot,” he says. “In most cases we would need more than one appointment to get it perfect but I didn’t really have that luxury. So, we did balayage and then added foils on top and around her face.”

Being familiar with Hadid’s hair was also helpful during the time crunch, Shore adds. “Her natural color is a dark blonde so it doesn’t require too many strong bleach products to get her to the prettiest blonde colors.”

It’s not clear exactly what Hadid’s glam look is for, but New York City-based creative agency Gotham shared a BTS video via Instagram stories of the model shooting a campaign on a rooftop, her new blonde hair in a long, dramatic braid. She’s also seen hanging off of scaffolding in a monochromatic bright red ensemble, so whatever it is, the final result is sure to be stunning.

Going from brunette to blonde is no easy feat, even for someone like Gigi Hadid who has a team of experts to help her achieve any look. It’s important to have a consultation with a colorist and assess your hair’s individual needs in order to avoid any disasters. Not to mention, a good amount of patience is necessary, especially if you’re going from very dark to very light.

“The natural color is a factor,” Shore says. “The darker you are naturally the more time and strength the colorist must use. There’s always Olaplex to help cushion the blow, but the darker the color, the more difficult it is to remove.”

It’s very possible that Hadid will be heading back from blonde to brunette in what feels like the blink of an eye, but for now, there’s no harm in soaking up the summer hair inspiration during peak gloomy season.