Gigi Hadid, Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger says he did not say that Gigi Hadid was “not quite thin enough.” Pictured: Model Gigi Hadid and designer Tommy Hilfiger acknowledge attendees after presenting Hilfiger's Spring/Summer 2017 collection at New York Fashion Week in Manhattan, New York, U.S., Sept. 9. Reuters/Andrew Kelly

Tommy Hilfiger was in hot water after he was quoted as saying that Gigi Hadid is “not quite as thin” as other models. Now, the fashion designer is clarifying the comments he made about the model and insists that Hadid is the “epitome of perfection.”

In an interview with Page Six, Hilfiger said: “The casting people put Gigi in the poncho, and I was not happy. I was saying, ‘Don’t hide her body.’ Even though the poncho ended up being the best-selling piece, I was very unhappy. The suggestion that I thought she wasn’t thin enough upsets me to no end. Gigi is the epitome of perfection.”

The designer also said that he’s very happy about making Hadid the face of his brand and creating a collection with the model. Hilfiger added that Hadid has an “incredible” sense of style, and that’s why he agreed to partner with her.

Hilfiger, in an interview with Yahoo Style about his 2015 New York Fashion Week collection, said his casting director implied that Hadid did not have the same body type as other models walking for him, so she was made to wear a poncho.

“Our casting director said, ‘She doesn’t really fit because you know she’s not quite as tall as the other girls, not quite as thin,’” the designer said.

A year later, Hadid opened and closed Hilfiger’s New York Fashion Week show in a bikini. “She opened and closed the show in the bikini because she’s our No. 1 model,” the designer said. “She would not be the Tommy girl if I didn’t think she was perfection, the It girl of today, not just because of her face, not just because of her body, but because of who she is.”

Hadid has yet to release a statement about the issue.

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