PRIVATE LIVES

How Kendall and Kylie Met Bella and Gigi: The Mystery Revealed

Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Gigi and Bella Hadid are the world’s most famous girl squad, but no one knew how they met until now.


amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala, Presented By Bold Films And Harry Winston - Dinner
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Not too long ago Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid were just two young, unconnected girls who occasionally appeared on their family members’ reality television show. Then the world blinked and all the sudden they were burgeoning supermodels and super influencers. Then the world blinked again and they were bonafide supermodel BFFs. Another blink and their sisters, Kylie and Bella, were also burgeoning influence and burgeoning models in their own right.

One more blink and they’re now four of the most famous young women on the entire planet and they all hang out with each other in various groupings and form the core of one of the most powerful girl squads in the entire world.

Of this we all know, and, yet, what we did not know is how any of them actually came to actually know each other and became friends in the first place.

There were simple guesses: Kendall and Gigi just met on the fashion circuit and took a liking to one another.

There were more complicated guesses based on the fact that the two pairs of sisters are sort of “related” in the way that all European royal families are sort of related—through a complicated string of marriages and divorces. The story: before Kris Jenner, the Jenners’ father Caitlyn—née Bruce—used to be married to a woman named Linda, and after their divorce Linda married the composer David Foster. Linda and David also got divorced, and then the Hadids’ mother Yolanda married David after her first marriage to the sisters’ biological father Mohamed. Naturally, Yolanda and David are now divorced as well.

So, maybe some assumed they just met at a very awkward extended family reunion, of sorts.

As it happens, that is not the case.

Earlier this year came a stunning new clue in the mystery. While everyone thought that it was Kendall and Gigi who were the original nexus of the friendship web, it turned out that Kendall was actually friends with Bella first.

Now, finally, after far too long spent thinking about this, we have a definitive answer and it is way, way more mundane and even a bit geekier than we ever imagined.

Kendall and Bella were teenage internet friends.

“I met her for the first time seven years ago over Twitter,” Bella told InStyle. “That was before we started modeling; I was probably 14 or 15. We met up and had sushi, and now we’re best friends. She’s a pretty significant human I met online.”

While there is still shame in this world about admitting you’ve met anyone online, the fact that two of the most popular girls in the world did so back when they were “14 or 15” should satisfy everyone, and, once and for all, any questions about how the Jenners met the Hadids.

Read: Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Model Friends Hit Up Paris Strip Club

Kendall Jenner, Performance Artist, Channels Icons Like Marina Abramovic and Yoko Ono:

How Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid Became Humanoid Creatures for W

Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid wear Louis Vuitton dresses and sandals; the Murphy Maxwell FTS Cartoonification mouth grill. Lauren Devine wears T by Alexander Wang bodysuit shirt; Hood by Air Atelier acrylic master lock collar; Plain Hats hat; prosthetic nose from Naimie’s Beauty Center; makeup artist’s own prosthetic ears. Telfar “Customer” logo on Phantom quadcopter.

Hadid beauty: Maybelline Dream Velvet Foundation in Sandy Beige, Brow Drama Pomade Crayon in Blonde, the Falsies Push Up Angel Washable Mascara in Very Black, Color Tattoo Eye Chrome in Bronze Sheen, Facestudio Master Contour V-Shape Duo Stick in Light, Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter in Light-Iridescent, Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm in Quenched.

Jenner beauty: Estée Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup in 3.5, the Brow Multi-Tasker in Dark Brunette, Pure Color Envy Defining EyeShadow Wet/Dry in Brash Bronze, Sumptuous Knockout Defining Lift and Fan Mascara in Black, Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer in Light, Bronze Goddess Summer Glow Illuminator, Pure Color Envy Blooming Lip Balm.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie. Hair by Recine for Rodin; makeup and special effects makeup by Sammy Mourabit for Make Up for Ever; manicures by Marisa Carmichael for Formula X at Streeters.

rehearsal pace, 2016

FTS human-hamster water bottle.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie.

floater costs, 2016

Clockwise, from left: Kendall Jenner wears Eres bikini; Hood by Air lace-lock button up and puffer scarf; Philipp Plein pants; Alexander Wang bag; Louis Vuitton boots; prosthetic nose from Naimie’s Beauty Center (throughout). Gigi Hadid wears Hood by Air Atelier harness; Onia swimsuit top; Hood by Air monster trousers; Louis Vuitton boots; prosthetic nose from Naimie’s Beauty Center (throughout); makeup artist’s own prosthetic ears (throughout). Jesse Hoffman wears T-shirt from Ohio; his own Janiva Ellis dress; his own glasses.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie.

under said, 2016

Clockwise, from left: Hadid wears Telfar top and jeans. Lauren Devine wears Telfar “Customer” T-shirt; Fendi shorts; artists’ own hat. Jenner wears Telfar shirt and shorts; TASI Designs for FTS Solo cup earrings. All glasses from Target. Hair by Recine for Rodin; makeup and special effects makeup by Sammy Mourabit for Make Up for Ever; manicures by Marisa Carmichael for Formula X at Streeters.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie.

pitch flare, 2016

From left: Hoffman wears T-shirt from Ohio; his own Janiva Ellis dress; his own hand-painted shoes. Jenner wears Marni jacket; DKNY Pure track pants; Rosamosario plastic bralette; American Apparel bra (underneath); MSGM bag; Darkfin gloves; FTS skid rim pigtail trucker hat from the movie Mark Trade. Hadid wears Jonathan Simkhai sports bra; Bally pants; 69 hat; Eddie Borgo choker; Darkfin gloves.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie.

open horse, 2016

Jenner wears Moschino bikini; Escada Sport jacket; Versace pants; Corona Collection hat; Christopher Kane bag.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie.

captcha off, 2016

Hadid wears Emilio Pucci jacket and bodysuit; Prada shorts; Louis Vuitton boots. On animated figures: Evolve underwear (on head); other clothing from Ohio. In hands (right): TASI Designs antler necklace.

Performance Actors: Jesse Hoffman and Lauren Devine; Puppy: @Sachi_Does_Hollywood; Fitch Trecartin Studio: Sean Grattan, Sergio Pastor; FTS Director of Special Projects: Isabel Venero; Project Manager: Simone Manwarring; FTS PostProduction: Lola Sinreich; FTS Custom 3-D Modeling: Rhett LaRue; FTS Custom Prop Design: Nick Rodrigues, Charles Mathis; FTS makeup artist and stylist for Hoffman: Janiva Ellis; FTS Fashion Whisperer and stylist: Lauren Devine; On-Set Production by Rosco Production; Digital Technician: Charley Parden; Photography Assistants: James Schieberl, Michel Andreo, Sean Bonilla; on-set retoucher: eliabeth mooney; Fashion Assistants: Diana Choi, Elyse Lightner; Hair Assistant: Shingo Shibata; Makeup Assistant: Valerie Vonprisk; Sound Technician: Harlow Price; Cinematography: Alex Gvojic and Rory Mulhere at Capture This; Ohio Shoppers: Raul de Nieves, Liz Rywelski, Mary Ann Heagerty, Lindsay Beebe; Special Thanks to Smashbox Studios; capture this; TELFAR; Hood by Air; TASI; Jeremiah Thies; Ellen Greenberg; Sprueth Magers; Regen Projects, Los Angeles; Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York.

Image © Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin. Photograph by Jason Kibbler. Styled by Patrick Mackie.
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