The 20-year-old pink-haired model with a chiseled jawline, an intimidatingly artsy Instagram, and a roster of famous family members is all giggles when we sit down to chat about his latest campaign with Valentino. Anwar Hadid grew up surrounded by beauty and fashion with model sisters Gigi and Bella storming the runways in their teens and mother Yolanda, also a model, strutting her stuff on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Hadid signed with IMG Models in 2016 and has posed as the face of Hugo Boss Menswear’s HUGO line, walked the runways at New York Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week, and founded his own accessories brand, MARTYRE. With an unapologetic sense of style, Hadid has been capturing the fashion world’s attention for years. His cool-kid persona on social media is disrupted by the boyish charm he exudes in-person, which was recently documented through swoon-worthy photos of Hadid and girlfriend Dua Lipa at the MTV EMAs in Seville.
Most recently, Hadid was chosen to be the face of Valentino’s new men’s fragrance, Valentino Oumo Born in Roma. Starring in the campaign alongside Hadid is model Adut Akech, who is the face of Valentino’s women’s fragrance, Valentino Donna Born in Roma. The two are edgy and chic as they parade through the streets of Rome, Italy, surrounded by the city’s stunning cityscape. “I was out there for the days we were there to shoot with Adut and the whole Valentino team and it was wonderful. It was cold but we were in the most architecturally beautiful places I’ve seen in a long time,” Hadid says of shooting the campaign. The video perfectly captures the youthful spirit of Rome, with Hadid and Akech at the helm, albeit a bit chilly. “It was freezing. I was definitely the worst when it came to the cold,” Hadid admits. “Adut was a trooper. She had to wear a dress and she did great.”
The two new Valentino fragrances are inspired by Rome’s vibrant culture and attitude, and according to Hadid, the energy and architecture of the city translate perfectly into Valentino’s brand identity as well. “I think that both Italian men and women are very strong. It is very much embedded into the culture. I feel like, the personalities of Italians are strong and the bottle represents that very well,” Hadid says of the spikes incorporated into the design of both bottles.
Though Hadid smells very chic and fresh at the moment–with just a few sprays of Valentino Oumo Born in Roma–this wasn’t always the case. “I would jut wear really gross CVS-type deodorant sprays,” Hadid says of experimenting with fragrances in his younger years. “I was blessed to have sisters and a mom so when I was young and I would come home smelling like a 15-year-old boy, I would get a lesson on roses or essential oils,” he says with a laugh. It seems like those lessons made quite an impact because as the face of Valentino’s men’s fragrance, Hadid is our new favorite smelling model.
Watch the official Born in Roma video below.