Yes, There’s Another Hadid Sibling In The Fashion Industry

There's no shortage of Hadid family news nowadays. There's also seemingly no shortage of cool running in that family. While Gigi and Bella may dominate public fascination right now, there's yet another sibling that's caught our attention: Alana Hadid has been working in the fashion biz for a little longer than her two younger half-siblings. (They share a father, Mohamed Hadid.) She's been a stylist, a personal shopper, and a cheeky-T-shirt entrepreneur. Now, the elder Hadid sister is designing an ongoing capsule collection for Lou & Grey; in January, a vintage-inspired printed bandana was released. Today, an expanded offering of @lanzybear-approved Lou & Grey items is available for pre-order, comprised of two clutches, a sweatshirt, and more bandanas (Hadid's signature). We caught up with Hadid recently at the brand's launch party in New York, alongside her parents and half-sisters.

Why did you decide to release a bandana as the first item in your Lou & Grey collab?
"Originally, we had talked about a T-shirt. But there's something about bandanas that I really connect to. I wear them all the time. I’m really obsessed with bandanas, and they’re making a huge comeback. It was a suggestion I made [to Lou & Grey]. It's something we’re going to do throughout the entire capsule collection. It ties everything together."

Will accessories play a large role in your upcoming Lou & Grey collections?
"I think there will always be accessories. I look at everyone’s accessories all the time. Shoes, a bag, and a scarf can make a whole outfit: You can put on jeans and a T-shirt, add those three things, and be out the door. We’re [also] doing a sweatshirt, which I live in. Down the line, we may do some other things. The collection might steer a bit away from accessories."

Bandanas really are making a comeback — that’s something we’ve been championing for a while at Refinery29. How do you style yours?
"I like to do it the old-school way — fold it in half, in a triangle, and tie it around my neck. I'll wear it like that during the day, and turn it into a choker for night. I don’t necessarily do the around-the-head thing, because I have a weird-shaped head, but it looks so cute on [other] people. I used to tie it, actually, around one of my boots — over the boot, so that it hangs down the side. There are so many cool ways to wear a bandana."

What are your favorite underrated accessories?
"Anything that you can hang off your bag is the coolest. People have been doing it with the little clip-ons. It’s such a way to add something else to your outfit. Obviously, chokers are huge. I don’t think they’re underrated anymore, but I’ve been wearing chokers [forever]. I’ve always been obsessed, so I’m glad that they’re coming back."

How was editing which pieces to include in this capsule, as a designer, different from editing outfits as a stylist?
"The great thing about editing as a stylist is I can try it on the person, I can see what they’re wearing, and I can readjust. When I’m designing a collection, I don’t get to see everyone wearing it. I commend designers for having such foresight; to predict a trend or know 'your woman' is such an amazing thing."

You've tried out quite a few different fashion gigs at this point.
"I think that’s important. You only live once — you should try everything! Then, you can hone in on what you really want when you’ve done a bunch of things. There have definitely been things in the past that I’ve really loved, and if I had kept going with them, I’m sure I would’ve enjoyed myself — but I wouldn’t have ever gotten to do this. Trying everything definitely helps your craft."

Did you learn anything about your personal style from doing this capsule?
"I have a very androgynous look, and I always have. But I realized I’m a little bit more feminine at heart than I thought I was. We’ve done stuff [in the Lou & Grey capsule] in pinks and purples; if someone had asked me if those colors were in my color wheel, I would’ve said no."

Since you're L.A.-based, what do Angelenos nail style-wise that New Yorkers should try out?
"The laid-back feel. You can kind of get away with anything in L.A.; there’s not really a dress code, which I really love. I feel like the East Coast is adopting that slowly; I grew up on the East Coast, so I know there’s a little bit more of a rigid feel to it. Obviously, if something is black-tie, I would never suggest wearing a pair of joggers. L.A. is way laid-back: T-shirts and jeans work for everything. If you want to wear Converse with a cocktail dress, you can do it, and no one’s going to look twice."

Your family is the talk of the fashion industry. What's a piece of style advice that you’ve passed along to your sisters?
"Something I’ve done and that they’ve then adopted on their own is: Try new things. Get out of your box. If you never wear a baggy jean, try a baggy jean one time. If you’ve never put a trench on, just put it on — it might be something you never want to take off. They really know their style already, and they’re so young! They are so amazing, and they’ve really developed their own style sensibilities."

You’ve said before that your siblings have often borrowed things from your closet. Is there any particular item that regularly "disappears?"
"Well, it doesn’t disappear — it just never comes back once it’s been borrowed: My vintage jeans collection has been pillaged! I’m still waiting for a few pairs back. But that’s why I have so many — so that they can take them! That’s what sisters are for."