I Spent 6 Hours Living Like Bella Hadid — This Is What Happened

By Hallie Gould

In pursuit of a more model-like existence, I decided to use NYFW as the necessary excuse to live my best life. Or Bella Hadid’s life, anyway. Bella Hadid (in case you’ve been off the scene for a while) is a 19-year-old Cali-born model who has taken the fashion and beauty world by storm. She walked for a bunch of heavy-hitting designers like Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford, signed on as the face of Dior Beauty, and is one-third of the dynamic, genetically blessed group that is the Hadid sisters. So why not try to be a bit more like her for a day? I fully committed, too.

First things first: Bella gets dressed by designers during fashion week. So what did I do? I hit up the lovely people at Michael Kors to see if they’d help me live out my fantasy. Bella would be walking in his show, after all. After scheduling a time to head over to the Madison Avenue flagship store to pick an outfit (I know, chic, right?), I walked through those golden doors and immediately felt like I was in the presence of greatness. Racks were lined with baby-blue furs, camel-colored coats, and suede bell bottoms from Kors’s most recent collection. Just as excited as I was, the saleswoman giddily helped me picked out my favorites and hung them up in the dressing room. When my eyes locked on a cropped jacket with fur-lined sleeves, I threw caution (and the 85-degree weather) to the wind and tried it on with a matching suede skirt and a crisp white button-down with a bell-sleeve silhouette. I felt incredible: fancy but cool, and definitely stylish — just like Bella.

Just like that, the saleswoman steamed each piece, wrapped them all up in a garment bag, and sent me on my way. That was easy, I thought as I trudged toward the subway. Then, in a moment of brilliance, I realized Bella would never take the subway, so I hailed a cab. Thirty minutes and mild bumper-to-bumper traffic later, I was home in Brooklyn, where I hung up my outfit for the next day and washed my face with Dior Gentle Foaming Cleanser With Velvet Peony Extract ($36), as Bella would.

Because I had a car coming at 6:30 a.m., I set my alarm for 5:30 the next morning (models get up early, right?). But believe me when I tell you I have not (purposefully) opened my eyes before 7 a.m. in years — I’m not a morning person. Even so, I had a full day of model-worthy activities ahead of me.

First, a car to Spring Studios, where a MAC makeup artist would soon give me the exact look she’d apply to Bella’s face before the show. But first, an interview with Michael Kors. Assuming Bella had already had some face time with the famed designer, I figured I should too. As I waited for his people to motion me into the room, I spritzed myself with his newest fragrance, Michael KorsWonderlust ($88).

Meant to evoke feelings of a carefree, spontaneous spirit, the notes in his newest scent, Kors says, are “a bit off,” but in all the best ways. It gave me all the confidence I needed to march right in and introduce myself to the designer. We chatted for a while about the makeup look of the show (thick brows and natural freckles) and the inspiration behind the fragrance (the jet-set lifestyle). Kors explained, “I’m very much a spontaneous person, and I love to do things on a whim. In a world where we’re all overscheduled, we have too much going on — nothing can be more fun than just saying, ‘I’m up for anything.’ We wanted [this fragrance] to be all about that irreverent attitude, someone who’s curious.”

He continued, “And then we were talking about what that means and how to translate it into fragrance — it’s really about unexpected notes and mixing things up. I wanted it to smell delicious but not edible. You’ve got orange blossom, the white florals (which I’m known for), and then suddenly you’ve got pink peppercorn. The mix is what makes it special.” Well, I’m officially sold.

Then I moved on to the makeup portion of the program, practically skipping down the hallway from room to room. The MAC makeup artist applied MACPrep + Prime Skin Refined Zone Treatment ($23) to smooth and mattify my skin. Then she evened out my skin tone and dark circles with MAC’s Studio Conceal and Correct Palette ($40). The coverage was meant to look matte, natural, beautiful — but believable. Basically, not airbrushed. She left my eyes mostly bare, save for a few swipes of MAC’s False Lashes Extreme Black Mascara ($23) on the top and bottom lashes. Then she pressed on and buffed over MAC’s Lipstick in Impassioned ($17) with a blending brush for a lived-in effect. I was a Kors girl now!

After getting my makeup done — it was flawless — I noticed Kendall Jenner getting her look applied across the room. Since Bella and Kendall are besties, I thought it wise to go over and ask for a picture. (Bella takes a lot of pictures of Kendall, so it made total sense.) Shockingly, Kendall said no to pictures. But maybe that’s what she says to Bella sometimes? No? Just me? Like the model I was, I shook it off and took a few snaps of Kendall and Joan Smalls walking toward rehearsal. (They ended up flawlessly opening the show in a floral dress and trench-inspired frock, respectively).

While I waited for the show to start — I had about an hour — I hit up a nearby coffee shop to get some work done and sip an almond milk latte, like I assume models do. At 10 a.m. on the dot, I strutted my Michael Kors–wearing self over to the venue and took my seat. That’s when things started to get crazy. Among the show highlights was a live serenade by Rufus Wainwright, accompanied by a full band and absolutely, unbelievably gorgeous clothes. The girls’ sideswept hair bounced over their eyes as they expertly walked in five-inch heels, navigating the strange shape and sharp turns of the runway.

That’s when it happened: the fall heard round the internet. Bella stepped out in scary-high heels and a belted, sparkly dress that looked as close to perfect as possible. Just as she was turning the corner (right next to my seat), she tripped and fell. Everyone in my section, including the entire photography pit, started snapping photos, but as her confidante for these six hours, I refrained. Looking on with remorse, I simply hoped someone would help her. Like the true pro she was, though, she helped herself up, laughed it off, and finished the show with her glossy-haired head held high. But yes, in case you’re wondering, I am featured in the background of every photo captured from that moment. I’m officially a fashion week model now.

Love models as much as I do? Read about the time I spent 24 hours trying to look, smell, and work out like Gigi Hadid and the time I ate like Bella Hadid for a week.

Originally published at www.byrdie.com on September 16, 2016.