Hadid's modeling career began when she was two years old after being discovered by Paul Marciano, of Guess clothing. She started modeling with Baby Guess before stopping to concentrate on school. Hadid eventually returned to modeling, in 2011.
She resumed working with Marciano, and was named the face of a Guess campaign in 2012. Hadid has shot three campaigns with Guess as an adult.
After moving to New York City and signing to IMG Models in 2013, Hadid made her New York Fashion Week debut in February 2014 walking for Desigual's show. In the same month she got her break in high fashion on the cover of CR Fashion Book magazine. On July 15, 2014, she starred alongside actor and model Patrick Schwarzenegger in fashion designer Tom Ford's Eyewear autumn/winter campaign. She co-hosted the Daily Front Row's Fashion Media Awards event that was held in New York City on September 5, 2014. Hadid has also starred in campaigns for Tom Ford F/W 2014, Tom Ford Velvet Orchard Fragrance and Tom Ford Beauty 2014.
She was on the cover of Galore magazine and Carine Roitfeld's CR Fashion Book in 2014.
Hadid has appeared on magazine covers including Vogue (United States, Paris, Italy, Britain, Japan, Spain, Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, China), Schön!, Numéro, Allure, W Magazine and Teen Vogue as well as WSJ Magazine, Elle Canada, Dazed and Harper's Bazaar (USA, Malaysia). Hadid has also shot editorials for VMAN, Elle, Grazia, Cleo, Vogue, Sports Illustrated, Paper magazine, Vanity Fair and V Magazine. Hadid has also starred in campaigns for Guess, Versace, Penshoppe, Balmain F/W 2015, Topshop, Max Mara, and Stuart Weitzman.
In 2016, she has walked for: Versace, Chanel, Elie Saab, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Miu Miu, Balmain, Diane Von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Fenty x Puma, Isabel Marant, and Giambattista Valli.
On November 20, 2016, Hadid hosted the American Music Awards. alongside Saturday Night Live alum Jay Pharoah. In December 2016, she made her second appearance in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, earning her wings for the first time, and in the same month she won the award for International Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, presented to her by Donatella Versace.
Hadid was featured on four March 2017 Vogue covers: United States, Britain, China, and the inaugural Arabia edition. She also appeared on the covers for the CR Fashion Book (Spring/Summer 2017), Jolie (April 2017) and The Daily (Spring 2017).] She featured on the May 2017 covers for the Netherlands editions of Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Glamour as well as the June/July 2017 cover of US Harper's Bazaar. Hadid has starred in editorials for Vogue US (April 2017) and LOVE Magazine (Spring/Summer 2017).
During Fall/Winter 2017 Fashion Month in New York, Milan and Paris, Hadid opened the shows for Jeremy Scott, Anna Sui, Versus (Versace), Alberta Ferretti, Missoni, H&M and Balmain; and closed the shows for Isabel Marant, Moschino, Max Mara and Anna Sui. At The Daily Front Row's third annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards, Hadid was honored for the Best Design Debut for her collection with Tommy Hilfiger.
