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Style May 4, 2018

Gigi Hadid apologizes after being slammed for Vogue Italia 'blackface' cover

WATCH: Gigi Hadid Defends Fighting Off Man Outside Fashion Show

Gig Hadid is apologizing after being called out online over her new Vogue Italia cover, which shows her with skin so dark that people accused her of wearing "blackface."

“I want to apologize because my intention is never to diminish those concerns or take opportunities away from anyone else, and I hope this can be an example to other magazines and teams in the future,” she tweeted in a lengthy explanation.

pic.twitter.com/MAYix18Wrk

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) May 3, 2018

In the shot by photographer Steven Klein, Hadid, a 23-year-old U.S. model of Dutch and Palestinian descent, who is usually fair-skinned, is shown heavily tanned and wearing a sequined jumpsuit, posing in the arms of a male model.

In her tweet, she wrote she had no input into the photo shoot.

PHOTO: Gigi Hadid and Vogue Italia have separately apologized for the May Vogue Italia cover, seen on a newsstand in Milan, Italy, May 4, 2018, showing the cover model with a darker skin tone and hair color that set off a social media backlash.
Luca Bruno/AP
Gigi Hadid and Vogue Italia have separately apologized for the May Vogue Italia cover, seen on a newsstand in Milan, Italy, May 4, 2018, showing the cover model with a darker skin tone and hair color that set off a social media backlash.

“The bronzing and Photoshop is a style that S. Klein has done for many years and I believe was what was expected from the shoot, to show me in a different way creatively," she wrote. "BUT, although I understand what Vogue Italia’s intentions were, it was not executed correctly, and the concerns that have been brought up are valid.”

She concluded, “There are real issues regarding representation in fashion—it’s our responsibility to acknowledge those issues and communicate through them to work towards a more diverse industry.”

PHOTO: Model Gigi Hadid is pictured in New York on April 26, 2018.
Splash News
Model Gigi Hadid is pictured in New York on April 26, 2018.

Vogue issued a separate apology, saying, "Throughout its history, Vogue Italia has respected and encouraged the creative viewpoints of commissioned photographers. In our latest cover shoot by Steven Klein, the vision was to create a beachwear-themed story with a stylized bronzing effect. We understand that the result has caused some debate with our readers, and we sincerely apologize if we have caused any offence."

Throughout its history, Vogue Italia has respected and encouraged the creative viewpoints of commissioned photographers. In our latest cover shoot by Steven Klein, the vision was to create a beachwear-themed story with a stylized bronzing effect. We understand that the result has caused some debate with our readers, and we sincerely apologize if we have caused any offence.

A post shared by Vogue Italia (@vogueitalia) on

Hadid was also criticized for a November 2015 Vogue Italia cover in which her skin was much darker than normal as she wore various Afro wigs.