Over the last few months, Bella Hadid has been a sorely missed presence on our social feeds and news dashboards. As she’s undergone intensive treatments for her Lyme Disease, the model has stepped back from the spotlight to focus on her health. But to our dismay, the rumour mill went into overdrive when it seemed the 26-year-old had made a surprise return to the runway at Milan Fashion Week.
Surprising show-goers at Diesel‘s Spring/Summer 2024 presentation, it was reported that Hadid took to the runway in what looked to be a disguising makeup look. As a model stepped out onto the red-carpeted catwalk in a bra top and low-slung bias-cut skirt, amid the raucous crowd, theatrical smoke and strobe lights, it seemed to be the svelt figure and sculpted cheekbones of the youngest Hadid sister.
We were all, however, very wrong.
In fact, as pointed out by some fans, the figure in question who closed the show is actually Dalton Dubois, a London-based model who bears a striking resemblance to Hadid. And after all, it wouldn’t be the first time prosthetics were used on the runway—remember Balenciaga’s extreme cheekbones in 2019? But this time, it wasn’t the case.
Having walked for big names like Alexander McQueen, Acne Studios and Givenchy, Dubois is a killer talent in her own right who we’re sure to be seeing everywhere in no time.
As fans will know, Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2012 along with her mother, Yolanda Hadid and brother, Anwar Hadid. While she has been open about her illness, the model recently revealed more about her worsening condition, including how she’s undergone 100+ days of treatments for the “15 years of invisible suffering”.
In a series of photos posted to Instagram earlier this year, Hadid shared snippets of her health journey with photos of herself receiving medical care. But despite the harrowing experiences, she seems resilient and keen to get back to work. “The little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself,” she wrote in the caption, adding some gratitude to her mother for her support and keeping track of her medical records. “Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I can’t really explain.”
She took the time to assure concerned fans that she was indeed on the mend and feeling optimistic about her life and mental health. “One thing I want to express to you all is that 1: I am okay, and you do not have to worry, and 2: I wouldn’t change anything for the world,” she wrote. “If I had to go through all of this again to get here, to this exact moment I’m in right now, with all of you, finally healthy, I would do it all again. It made me who I am today.”
Though we’re not sure if Hadid is actually going to be making a comeback anytime soon, we do hope she’s on the mend.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.