Bella Hadid is an undisputed leader when it comes to reviving Y2K fashion. The 25-year-old model has been rocking the trend for years — and thankfully, she’s not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.
For the uninitiated, Y2K fashion refers to trends that surfaced during the late ’90s to early 2000s. The distinctive style is easily recognized for its retro, futuristic and sometimes daringly sexy aesthetic. Think cropped baby tees, baguette bags and bucket hats, as well as more controversial trends like low-rise jeans, visible thongs and pleated skirts. Hadid’s done it all.
Better yet, the California native embraces Y2K style no matter the occasion. Case in point? She’s worn midriff-baring dresses on the red carpet, figure-hugging corsets for days and nights on the town and ultra low-rise jeans on the regular. (The latter has become one of her signature styles).
Besides Hadid herself, we also have her fashion stylist to thank for the model’s iconic throwback outfits. Mimi Cuttrell has been working with Bella and her sister Gigi for years. “I have spent so much time learning my clients’ individual likes and dislikes, observing and understanding their personal style, and knowing what works best on their bodies,” said Cuttrell in a 2019 Vogue interview.
While Cuttrell hasn’t outwardly defined Bella’s style, the model herself has spoken about it, particularly about her love of showing some skin.
“I’m just a tiny top kind of girl,” she said in an August interview after touching on the Louis Vuitton cummerbund she epically wore as a top to the luxury label’s 2020 menswear show. “I love oversized pants, I love oversized jackets, I love sexy masculine. I also love to show a little skin. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with skin.”
Ahead, Us Weekly’s Stylish rounded up 15 of Hadid’s most buzzed-about Y2K outfits through the years, including the unforgettably sexy dress she wore to the 2019 VMAs and the aforementioned cummerbund-turned-top. Keep scrolling to relive them in their fully glory!