Tommy Hilfiger clarifies Gigi Hadid comments

Hadid launched her own Tommy Hilfiger collection in September

Tommy Hilfiger has said suggestions he thought Gigi Hadid was not thin enough to model are "completely false".

The fashion designer had told Yahoo that casting directors dressed Hadid in a poncho for a fashion show because she was not as thin as the other models.

But he has now clarified his comments and said the story was misleading.

Hilfiger said: "The suggestion that I thought [Hadid] wasn't thin enough upsets me to no end. Gigi is the epitome of perfection."

In the Yahoo interview, Hilfiger referred to a 2015 fashion show in which Hadid wore a poncho which covered most of her body.

The poncho Hadid wore in the fashion show proved hugely popular

Hilfiger said he wanted Hadid to be dressed in something which better showed off her figure, but members of his creative team disagreed.

"Our casting director said, 'She doesn't really fit because you know she's not quite as tall as the other girls, she's not quite as thin,'" Hilfiger originally said.

"So they put a red, white, and blue poncho on her. It covered a lot of her body unfortunately, but it received millions of hits."

Hadid's appearance in the poncho proved hugely popular, and she later went on to collaborate with Hilfiger, launching her own line of clothing for the brand earlier this year.

After Hilfiger's comments sparked criticism, the designer criticised the original story's headline as "misleading".

Gigi Hadid is now a Tommy Hilfiger brand ambassador

Speaking to 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 designer also released a statement to Entertainment Tonight, in which he said he was "extremely proud" to have Hadid representing his brand.

"Gigi is truly the definition of a 'Tommy Girl' - her magnetic personality is bright, confident and always optimistic," he said.

"I've known her for many years, and am extremely proud to have her as the ambassador of my brand and as a collaborator of our collections.

"Any statement to the contrary is completely false. The headline from the interview with Yahoo was misleading and has since been corrected."