Vogue Slammed For Featuring Gigi Hadid In Hairspray Ad Instead Of A Plus-Size Model

Gigi Hadid and Vogue thought they served up a playful, retro fashion fantasy with their Hairspray -inspired campaign—and they did! However, they got a lot of hate for not featuring heavier set women. Hadid shared the video on Instagram, captioning it, “I have been dreaming (yapping) of our own take on ‘Hairspray' for years, and this @voguemagazine day was all the things that make our job special— all the things little Gigi dreamt it could be! How much more fun could we have showing you this season’s dresses of 2025 than takin you back to the 60’s?!” She also made sure to thank the cast and crew, including Laverne Cox, Marc Jacobs, and Cole Escola, before signing off with a cheeky nod to the film’s iconic finale, “&& To the neg’s of the world…. Just a reminder that YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT ;)” The comment section was quick to drag Vogue for seemingly missing a major element of what makes Hairspray such a beloved classic. One user wrote, “No plus size people in a ‘Hairspray’ tribute is wild.” Another comment took it further, arguing that the entire meaning of the musical had been erased: “You erased the entire message of one of the most iconic musicals of all time and one of the only pieces of fat positive media most people had growing up. Hundreds of plus models you could have used. I refuse to believe not one person at Vogue raised this? Do better.” Others were nastier, with one comment saying, “Is the hairspray made of Ozempic?!” And then there was the deeper criticism of Gigi herself spearheading the project: “A white skinny person having their ‘own take’ on ‘Hairspray’? Sis. This wasn’t yours to have.” A top-tweeted post on X reads, "hairspray without fat people should get you shot in the knees this is embarrassing." Yes, Hairspray is known for its body-positive messaging, and Tracy Turnblad’s story is rooted in her being a plus-sized girl fighting for acceptance. But the musical’s core theme is civil rights and inclusion. And this ad, despite the insane outrage, wasn’t lacking in diversity. In fact, this video included many people of color and trans representation (Laverne Cox was front and center). There wasn't a plus-sized woman who was highlighted. Is that an oversight? Maybe a little. But the backlash was unnecessary. Gigi’s role in all of this also seemed like a nod to Brittany Snow’s Amber. And the entire thing was a fashion editorial, not a remake of the film. And let’s be real—if they had included a plus-sized lead, people would still have found something to critique. (Wrong actress, tokenism, bad styling—the list goes on.) The fact of the matter is, Vogue’s Hairspray ad was a treat for us theater fans. The internet demanding perfection from a fashion magazine is a waste of time. You can’t stop the beat, no, but you can definitely exhaust yourself trying. Subscribe today to get unlimited access to all of Evie’s premium content.