Last fashion week season, Hailey Baldwin firmly stomped her feet as a serious fashion model, walking a host of shows including Tommy Hilfiger and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as fronting the famous Guess campaign.
How did your collaboration with Public Desire come about? Had you heard about the brand before?
I did know a little bit about the brand before and it happened kind of naturally. They approached my agency about it and we spoke about it for a while. It makes a lot of sense because I always say I'll never collaborate with something that I don't think I'd wear myself or use myself. So all of the shoes are very much a part of my own personal style. My favourite are the pointy toed little booties, there's a black pair and a cream crushed velvet pair. And there are ones that are over the knee and peep toe, those are also really cute.
How many pairs of shoes do you think you own?
Oh my God. I'm 19, travelling to all of these places where you have amazing shopping and I do have a little bit of a shopping problem – my business manager would agree! - I'm wearing heels I just bought actually – they're Louis Vuitton! I love chunky heels.
I'm a big sneaker fan. I like Nike. I really like Adidas - a cute little dress with Stan Smiths is my thing.
How would you describe your off-duty style?
I always try to keep one very feminine quality to my style. For example today I'm wearing a big men's jacket but I have a pair of heels on and am wearing a lace bodysuit. I think trying to maintain a classic pretty style is the way I like to go, like Margot Robbie's style. Sometimes you'll see her in a really amazing feminine dress and then I have a photo I've screen-shotted of her on my phone where she's at the airport and she's wearing some sweats with some cute sneakers, a NY Rangers beanie and a leather jacket and I love that. For me I like to be a little bit tomboy but still look like a lady. Pretty tough. Or really, really, really pretty. Like with the Dolce look last night I just really wanted to look like a classic woman. And I like to dress like that because I think it's much more attractive to look classically pretty. There are things that Rihanna wears or Kim Kardashian wears where I think 'wow she looks dope' so I just pick little things here and there. I'm big on jackets; I have a really big jacket obsession.
Who would you say was your style icon when you were growing up?
I do remember as a kid-kid - which is so funny and if she heard I had said this she would definitely laugh - it was Miley [Cyrus]. I used to look at her street style and think she dressed so cool and tried to wear certain things that she did. Miley has known me since I was 10 or 11, so if she heard that she would probably laugh and be like 'you're a loser'.
What has been your biggest fashion moment so far?
I think honestly one of the most amazing things for me was getting to shoot with Karl Largerfeld [for the latest Karl Lagerfeld campaign] because he is so great, but I think the most surreal moment was, and still is, seeing all the Guess billboards and seeing when they went up on Sunset [Boulevard] and I had people texting me photos and stuff, which is crazy. It's just your face being so gigantic! It was such a humbling experience; I was so grateful for it. It's on the buses in London and the stands in Paris – I am literally astonished. It's just insane.
Do you want to continue modelling or is there something else you aspire to do?
I definitely want to continue modelling. I'm not closing off acting at all. There are a couple of things I feel I could do as I get older. For me the end-goal is to have a family and get married. I always think about the day when I can just buy a house, be married and have kids and start that time. For someone like me, and others, in the industry we're doing everything so fast so the normal stuff like settling down and children is a whole new experience for us and we'll have to learn it as we go. I'm grateful because I'm familiar with that type of stuff coming from a really big family. I grew up in a suburban town and my parents are still married - it's all I know. It's what I'm used to. I'm excited to have that. I'm very grateful for these years I'm having now though, it's been so much fun. I've got to travel and experience things that, by the time I do settle down, I don't think I'll feel I've missed out on anything.
Do you have any tattoos?
I have 14. All my tattoos except my first were not planned. I would just go into the shop late at night with friends and ask for something on the spot. My first is my parents' wedding date. I thought it would soften the blow of getting a tattoo. My dad doesn't care - he wanted to take me when I was 17 to get one - but my mum is super against it. I have one on the back of my neck that says 'Seek' and it's linked to the Bible; 'Seek and you shall find'. A lot of my tattoos have to do with my family. I have the city in Brazil where my Grandma's from on my ankle. I have a 'K' for my mum, Kennya.
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Someone once asked me which was most painful and I think the ones on your hands really hurt. I have a small star on my hand and that hurt so much as it was right on the bone. The one on the back of my neck felt weirdly nice when it was being done but it gave me the gnarliest headache.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Grey's Anatomy. I have been watching it for years. When I go home I always binge watch it to keep up. So much has happened!
