Gigi Hadid launches Cashmere Brand Guest in Residence

In early August, model Gigi Hadid teased her latest endeavor on social media: her first brand of Guest in Residence mode. Behind-the-scenes footage of Hadid's design process sparked instant internet buzz; On Monday, Hadid followed up with a pre-launch Instagram post that reads:

"We are invited into the residence of the clothes we own — they had a life before us and , hopefully, if we take care of them, a life after us. We are resident guests of our physical bodies, the homes we live in, and this planet. A "guest in residence" for me is also someone who feels at home - I thought of my favorite types of people... those who make the effort to show up at any door, to land in any country, to sit at any table, with a sense of comfort and wonder for the people in front of them and the world around them. With all of this in mind, we've created pieces you can live with - from the most spirited adventures to the quietest times. Launching at 9am EST - tomorrow @GuestinResidence 100% cashmere."

Today, Hadid - a "lover of all things comfortable" - is launching its brand of 100% cashmere knitwear exclusively on the Guest in Residence website.

Ahead of the launch, Hadid spoke to WWD about Guest in Residence's debut collection, consisting of 21 base styles in a myriad of colorways (totaling 114 pieces in total) and priced from $95 to $795, with the majority of the collection priced between $195 and $395. Guest in Residence's cashmere comes from Inner Mongolia and is made in China.

Here, Hadid chats with WWD about the launch of Guest in Residence and becomes founder and creative director.

WWD: First of all, where and when did Guest in Residence start?

Gigi Hadid: For years I wanted and understood that the next step in my career was to create and publish something that belongs to me. I learned about many different types of design through my collaborations, so it felt like a natural progression – but I never wanted to force it because I got an offer or a deal. I think the ones I got looked like something I would force myself into rather than wait for something authentic to come to mind.

Over the years I have thought about what kind of product I would like to bring into the world, where I don't think it's wasteful or something that's so overproduced right now that nobody needs.… There was a time when I thought of cashmere and wanted to understand the market - why a sweater marketed as 100% cashmere can be sold for $3,000 and also for $90. I never understood that and wanted to learn. Just before COVID-19, I was in Milan and visited different cashmere houses trying to figure out why they were sitting in the market where they were. I decided there was a niche for me, which was to offer this luxury item that I believe has a history of exclusivity from that price point, and bring it to a place where everything everyone deserves a luxury item, everyone deserves a durable material that, if taken care of, can last for decades and be passed down. Really try to encourage people to invest in their wardrobe and not waste it.

WWD: You mentioned past collaborations [