While her half-sisters Bella and Gigi may have been dominating the runways for the best part of a decade now, Alana Hadid had not been planning to make her own catwalk debut at Copenhagen Fashion Week this week. “I had decided to come to Copenhagen [as] I love Danish brands,” she tells Vogue during what is her first trip to the city. “[Saks Potts] caught wind that I was coming and asked me to walk [their show]; I was incredibly honored.”
Despite the wet and windy conditions for her first catwalk show, held outside by the Copenhagen coastline, Hadid—wearing a cropped beige blazer teamed with a blue sequined skirt over jeans and flip flops—took it all in her stride. “It was raining but it was beautiful: dramatic and pretty epic,” she says. “I’ve loved Saks Potts for a very long time so it was incredibly exhilarating to open for them.”
In fact, the experience has inspired Hadid, a stylist and co-founder of unisex LA brand La Detresse, to embark on a runway career. She quickly followed up her catwalk debut with two turns on the Munthe catwalk on Thursday, wearing a sheer embroidered dress and a leather mini. “I’m actually so in love with walking runways,” Hadid describes. “It was not something that I came here to do, but it’s been an exciting twist. I hope to come back again and walk more shows.”
While we’ve seen a resurgence of 40-plus models on the runway of late, including Amy Wesson at Gucci and Liya Kebede at Isabel Marant and Khaite, it’s still relatively rare for models to start their careers after turning 40 – a milestone that Hadid recently celebrated with a toga-themed birthday party attended by sister Gigi. “I feel like I’m living my life backwards, I love it,” she says. “One of the most beautiful things about Copenhagen Fashion Week is how inclusive it is.”
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When not on the runway, Hadid has been gracing the front rows at Marimekko, Baum und Pferdgarten, and The Garment, with Henrik Vibskov and Ganni also among her favorites. “One of the things [I like] about Scandinavian brands is that they are not afraid to march to their own drum,” Hadid explains. “They really have this way of making something that’s flashy [yet] comfortable—you can wear it on a bike or when it’s raining, but you are also making a fashion statement.”
After a busy fashion week, Hadid is planning to spend the rest of her time exploring the city with her cousin, who’s joined her on the trip. “We’re going to do a lot of vintage shopping, and maybe [go on a] ride at Tivoli [Gardens],” she says.
As for what her sisters make of her whirlwind Copenhagen experience? “We’re excited for each other for everything we do,” Hadid replies. “Obviously they know how exhilarating being on a runway is, so they’re excited for me for sure.”