Tommy Hilfiger: Gigi Hadid was put in a poncho because directors thought she wasn't as thin as other models

'It covered a lot of her body unfortunately, but it received millions of hits,' says fashion director

Gigi Hadid was put in a poncho at the 2015 Tommy Hilfiger show (Getty Images)

Tommy Hilfiger has attempted to clarify comments about Gigi Hadid’s weight after suggesting the supermodel was placed in a poncho because she wasn’t as thin as the other models walking the same fashion show.

The designer claimed Hadid, 21, was sent down the catwalk for Hilfiger’s 2015 New York Fashion Week show in an oversized garment which deliberately covered most of her body because casting directors felt she was not as tall or as thin as the other women selected for the collection.

Hilfiger’s depressing revelation was made while he was talking to Yahoo about the iconic faces who played a part in some of the US brand's most seminal moments.

“Our casting director said, ‘She doesn’t really fit because you know she’s not quite as tall as the other girls, she’s not quite as thin," said Hilfiger, 65.

“It covered a lot of her body unfortunately, but it received millions of hits.”

The New York-based model has not commented on Hilfiger's claims but he has since stressed his personal opposition to covering her up for the show. Hilfiger told Page Six: “The casting people put Gigi in the poncho, and I was not happy. I was saying, ‘Don’t hide her body.’ Even though the poncho ended up being the best-selling piece, I was very unhappy. The suggestion that I thought she wasn’t thin enough upsets me to no end. Gigi is the epitome of perfection.”

A spokesperson for Hilfiger told The Independent: “Gigi is truly the definition of a ‘Tommy Girl’ – her magnetic personality is bright, confident and always optimistic. I've known her for many years, and am extremely proud to have her as the ambassador of my brand and as a collaborator of our collections. Any statement to the contrary is completely false. The headline from the interview with Yahoo was misleading and has since been corrected.”

Despite repeated promises to reform, the fashion industry continues to perpetuate the notion that only one body type is acceptable. This stark lack of progress has sparked a body positive counter movement that continues to build momentum.

Yet catwalks are still populated by models with uniform body types and, in an even more worrying trend, those who do fit the sample sizes have still had to defend their size. Hadid, a US size 4, addressed criticism of her figure in an essay on Instagram in September: "Yes, I have boobs, I have abs, I have a butt, I have thighs, but I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm fitting into sample sizes. Your mean comments don't make me want to change my body.“

The rise of curve models such as Iskra Lawrence and Sabina Karlsson is a promising step in the right direction, but women who tick a box other than ‘straight size’ are still few and far between on otherwise homogenous catwalks.