Gigi Hadid on Her Fave Fragrance, Her Earliest Beauty Memory, and Why She's a "Classic Taurus"

Rabanne, the French fashion house with a 59-year history, is heading into 2025 on a high note. It 1) recently released a brand-new fragrance that has some serious signature-scent potential and 2) announced that global supermodel and all-around It girl Gigi Hadid is the face of it. The fragrance is called Million Gold for Her Eau de Parfum, and it's inspired by "feminity" and "glittering gold success."

Hadid's high-fashion campaign reflects the brand's bold and unapologetic stance on celebrating female success. In one image, she strikes a powerful pose while wearing a crisp, tailored suit. In another, she wears a glittering two-piece set. In yet another, she wears nothing aside from the brand's distinctive XL link jewelry.

Along with the striking images, Rabanne released a brand-exclusive Q&A with Hadid as part of the new fragrance campaign. Keep scrolling to learn more about this new scent and gain an intimate insight into Hadid's world—including info on her personal fragrance preferences, her earliest beauty memory, and why she calls herself a "classic Taurus."

What does Rabanne mean to you as a brand? What do you think the brand stands for?

Rabanne to me is powerful. Powerful, strong, sexy—someone who walks into the room and owns it.

Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda, Françoise Hardy have all been Monsieur Rabanne’s muses. How does it feel to be part of that amazing cast of strong, memorable women?

It's crazy! I've been a fan of the brand for so long. They've had so many iconic muses and been such an iconic part of fashion history. To be part of that, and to be able to work with such a great team, is amazing.

How would you describe the Rabanne woman?

Confident, strong, sensual, energized. Powerful.

Rabanne's manifesto is to galvanize the next generation to forge a more creative and inclusive future. Do you share these values?

Of course, totally. I feel like so much of that galvanizing is in encouraging people to find their way of expressing themselves; finding what makes them feel powerful and ready to take on the day. No one wakes up feeling like a million bucks, regardless of who you're talking about. We all have to find the things that we armor ourselves with in order to go out into the world. Fragrance can be such a strong tool for that.

When was the first time you encountered a Rabanne fragrance, and what are your memories of that moment?

An ex of the past wore Rabanne for Men. That was 10, maybe 13 years ago. I think that it reminds me of a young, fun part of my life. I don't know exactly the first time I smelled a Rabanne fragrance, but thinking about it does take me on kind of a time machine; little movie snippets of that time of my life, which is always fun.

How do you choose a fragrance to wear?

When I find something new that I like, I'll wear it on its own for a while. Then it gets added to the collection. Once it gets added to the collection, I might start to mix it with others. That’s almost like emotional alchemy, like you’re trying to figure out how you want to feel that day and the scent that will help you feel that way. Mixing emotions or thoughts inspired by each fragrance is fun.

Different fragrances make me feel different things and make different sides of my personality come out. In general, I love floral, or a floral that’s mixed with something a little bit deeper. Scent tickles parts of your brain. It can be such a great way to express yourself, and when people find ways to express themselves, life becomes so much more fun.

How would you describe Million Gold for Her in three words?

I would say invigorating. I like when something wakes up a part of your brain. My second word would be sexy. And third, I mean, it's hard to just call it floral, because it's more than that. I'm going to go with a "feeling" word more than a descriptive one. I’ll say mystical.

Million Gold for Her is about empowerment and excellence. What does empowerment mean to you?

Empowerment to me is finding yourself and being unafraid to express that in all ways. It’s being unapologetic and knowing your work and your value and not diminishing that based on anyone else's thoughts or what the world tries to put on you.

How do you define excellence?

Excellence is waking up every day and trying to learn something new. It’s never feeling like something is too much to learn. I think excellence is continuing to rise.

How would your friends describe you?

Level-headed. Creative, maybe. I guess this goes with level-headed, but I'm more easygoing and goofier than most people would think.

Do you have a personal mantra?

I don't know if I have a mantra. I think there have been certain parts of my life where I might have used a mantra, or had a certain outlook, but then once I'm past that point… I don't know. I move on. I'm pretty much a classic Taurus, at peace with the rhythm of life, the ups and downs. I see the benefit in both sides. And I'm pretty good at trying to find the lesson in everything. So if I had to name a mantra, I guess it would be "one day at a time."

What do you love about modeling now, as an adult? What’s your favorite sort of work to do? When do you have the most fun? What is the most challenging?

I think what makes it fun now is the contrast—modeling versus being a mom to my daughter. When she's with her dad is when I try to work the most. I have that time to pack in the jobs, and I choose work that means enough to me to fit it in. So I end up with a schedule full of things that are really fulfilling and that I really want to be there for. I’m also lucky to have a co-parenting relationship where when I show up to work, I can really focus on my job and feel like I'm there to give it my all and do the best that I can. Finding that balance made me confident both as a mom and as a model. I was like, "Okay, I can figure this out, and I can be good at all the things I want to be good at." But I think that that can be scary for anyone.

How do you unwind after a hectic week? Do you have any guilty pleasures?

I don't have any guilt for the pleasures that I partake in. Period. But I can really indulge in silence and being by myself. I think that when you're around so many people during the day, you can take on the energy of everyone. So I love to just be at home and light a candle. If there's someone around, play a board game. I love crafty stuff. This is not that calming for most people, but I love a crime documentary. I like to wind down with crime.

What makes you feel beautiful?

Something that I feel good and comfortable in. And also when my friends and loved ones can really see me, and when I feel good and happy. I think other people see me more beautifully then, too.

How would you define beauty at this stage of your life, and how is that different from how you might have defined beauty when you were younger?

I don't know if it's because I'm a Taurus, but I've always felt like my mentality's remained the same throughout all stages of my life. How do I explain it? I've always felt beautiful for the same reasons, like taking care of myself and my well-being and my mental state and the people I surround myself with and the relationships I put myself in. When I'm in a good place and those things are balanced, then I feel beautiful.

What’s your earliest perfume memory?

I can’t remember exactly, but I can picture the bottles. My mom had this beautiful tray of bottles in her bathroom. I wasn't just drawn to spraying them to try the fragrances but was also drawn to the bottles themselves. I think that that was my young brain just being so interested—as it still is now—in creativity and making products and in design. I was interested in how different bottles can make you feel, how seeing the fragrance coming out of it can make you feel. Thinking about perfume now makes me realize I was interested in products and design ever since I was a kid.

What’s your favorite way to wear fragrance?

I put it on my wrists, the front of my chest, my neck area, and then the back of my head, right where my hair meets my neck. I like the idea that when someone hugs me, they’re taking in that scent.

Shop More Rabanne Beauty Products