Hailey Bieber: ‘Sometimes I Google Myself Just To See What People Are Saying’ | InStyle.co.uk

The model gets real about social media...

Hailey Baldwin is sitting cross legged on a sofa in front of me, a bomber jacket draped over her shoulders, head down focusing on her iPhone, her fingers furiously tapping away. The leftovers of her lunch, a takeway from Wholefoods, lie on the table between us. The model is in London to promote her latest collaboration, a shoe collection with the online retailer Public Desire. Yesterday she flew in from Milan fashion week to shoot the campaign, today she's been sitting on the same sofa doing press for the said campaign all morning and once the interviews are over, in a couple of hours she'll jump on the Eurostar to head to Paris fashion week. I've been warned not to ask the model about two things - her personal life (google her name and over one million results pop up mentioning her ex Justin Bieber) and her model friends, and judging by the two publicists sitting in the corner I'm expecting the model to be pretty guarded. So I'm fairly surprised when she puts down her phone, sits forward and actually answers starts chatting about her collection and personal life (Hey she brought it up not me!) without sounding like a rehearsed script reader. Here's why she fangirls Rihanna and always googles herself....

Any memorable fashion disasters?

'You can blame my mom for some of my worst fashion moments. She used to dress me and my sisterin a a lot of patterns. Like she would put me in striped stockings with a floral dress. Like why are you doing that to me? But actually one thing she always used to put us in which I still wear to this day and actually obsess over is Roots, it’s like a loungwear Canadian brand. That was super cute.'

What did you splurge on with your first paycheck?

'I probably bought a really expensive pair of shoes or a bag or something. I think the most expensive thing I’ve bought thus far is my Rolex. I got it a couple of months ago and next to is a diamond bracelet I also bought myself. Why a Rolex? I just wanted a nice watch, I think its something you can wear everyday and have forever. Like this will still be cool in like ten or 20 years.'

Talk us through your wardrobe?

'I live in New York and there, space in apartments is quite scarce. I plan on buying a place in less than a year so wherever I buy will need to have the proper closet space. It has to be exactly what I want. I’ve learned as as I don’t own my place, I currently rent it, I don’t want to buy any of expensive furniture until I’m living somewhere that I’ve bought. Because then I can splurge more on the household things. I already have my eye on what I want. I want my style to be homely, earthy but modern. Restoration Hardware (an American home-furnishings company) has lots of stuff which I really like.

What will we always find in your handbag?

Chapstick. I really like the rose one which you twist open from Dior. And a hair tie. Like always in my bag or on my wrist I can’t be without one. And there’s always a phone charger too. My bag is like Mary Poppins. Like literally I joke about it, but last night I was looking for melatonin to fall asleep because of the jet lag and I had like allergy medicine, nasal spray, bandaids. I have like a pharmacy in there. I’m like the mom of everyone. I'm always like "You're sick? What do you need? I've got it."'

What's been your favourite part of the Public Desire x Hailey Baldwin collection process?

'They let me get involved in the creative process, it was very much my own decisions and they really took on my critique and listened to me. I never want to put my name on something that I don’t love or wouldn’t wear myself. It was just fun being involved in creating the collection.

Who would you love to seeing wearing them?

If I ever saw Rihanna wearing something I’ve created I would cry. I’ve met her. She’s very sweet. One time in New York I went to her show and then the after-party. She came over to me and was like; "I just want to let you know I think you are so cute and I love your own little style. It’s different to your friends so just keep doing what you’re doing because I think you’re dope." And I was like thank you. That is so sweet of you. And she was like; "Yah you’ve got your own thing going and I think it's really dope." I was like stop it!! She is like somebody I think is really dope. And I don’t really fan out over anyone. 

Really?

'There was one time when I did fan out over John Mayer, only because I really love his music. Somebody for a newspaper magazine asked me who I had a celebrity crush on and I said I don’t but I did say I’m obsessed with John Mayer, meaning his music, like not him. I’m not trying to date John Mayer, I don’t have a crush on John Mayer and then that came out and everyone was like "Hailey Baldwin admits her obsession with John Mayer" and I was like nooooo that’s not what I was saying! Like I know every single song he sings but I don't have a crush on me. And no he did not contact me afterwards (laughing).'

What's been the biggest lesson you've learned from being in this industry?

'To kind of do your best to keep things private and quiet. Like once something is on the Internet it’s always there. And not to like Tweet certain things or post certain things because anything I do or say, that could even be the slightest bit to do with a situration or about someone, they’ll (the media) will run with it. Even if it has nothing to do with it. So I’ve learned to at this point keep quiet. And to work things out behind closed doors. There are so many things that people in public will write about or post about, that like they think they know what’s going on but behind closed doors it's a completely differnet scenario. I like when people have no idea. I prefer it that way. People think that they know what’s going on, because they hear or read something but the personal actual situation is totally different.

So are you quite good at not reading stuff about yourself?

'I usually see everything. Like we (celebrities) see everything. We go through everything, we read, we stalk, we see it all. Sometimes I google myself just to see what people are saying. But we all do that. If someone tells you that they don’t, then they are lying.

So do you see all comments under your Insta posts about #bodygoals?   

'Listen, you can be inspired by people’s figure or shape and want to like work towards it. For my body, like I’m lucky enough to have genetics, I think a lot of your body is down to genetics. I also did ballet for 12 years so a lot of my figure and muscle memory comes from that. But it’s important to stay in shape. I’m not great with cardio, I have to run, and I hate running but I try my best to workout and do pilates. I’m not going to lie I haven’t worked out for the whole of this fashion season so far. But my trainer is going to be in Paris as he trains the Victoria Secret girls so I'll see him then.

So what do you do when you do workout?

'I don’t do a lot of weights. And I never do more than five to seven pounds on the arms. I’ll wear ankle weights and do like leg lifts and butt presses. My trainer trains ballet dancers he knows what he’s doing.'

Are you strict when it comes to food too?

'It’s hard to eat healthy overseas because I'm constantly on the run and sometimes by the time I get back to my hotel it’s like one in the morning and I’m like "I just want to eat pasta and go to bed."' But the food overseas is very different to America, like they don’t put a lot of chemicals in it and don’t allow GMOs and stuff like that. So it’s a bit easier.'

Published on InStyle.co.uk, 25th October 2016