Gigi Hadid Tells Grazia ‘Naomi Taught Me How To Catwalk’

From walking for Marc Jacobs and Chanel to starring in campaigns for Balmain and Topshop (with a starring role in a Calvin Harris video thrown in for good measure), Gigi Hadid has had an unbeatable 2015.

And the 20-year-old capped off a triumphant year with her debut appearance in the Victoria’s Secret Show, for which she was coached by veteran catwalk queen Naomi Campbell.

‘Naomi gave me some pointers, so that was really exciting,’ Gigi told* Grazia* shortly before she took the runway. ‘We were just hanging out at her hotel, and I was talking about the show, and she said, “Let’s practice walking in the hallway.”’

The British supermodel, 45, and the rising young star first met last month at a party in New York and have, it seems, forged a fast friendship. ‘[Being cast in the show] was nerve-racking, but Naomi told me, “Take your own time. Don’t go to the pace of the girl in front or behind. Have your own moment and remember it.”’

Backstage, wearing a hair net, rollers and a VS-issue pink satin robe, Gigi was the picture of composure. But the video of her emotional reaction to winning a spot in the high-profile parade of pants went viral in the days leading up to the show.

‘One of the reasons it meant so much is that I didn’t get the show last year, and I worked so hard this year to make sure I was ready. But honestly, I wouldn’t have put me in last time either,’ she admitted. ‘I was so nervous [at the casting], I was shaking. The extra year of walking in the shows, and getting to know my body, showed’.

For Gigi, the icing on the cake of her VS ‘moment’ was sharing it with her best friend Kendall Jenner, who tweeted a picture of the pair after the show captioned, ‘Would not have wanted to share this moment with anyone else but you baby G’. #friendship goals.

The Victoria's Secret Show will air in the UK on 9th December on 4Music at 9.15pm...