Gigi Hadid Steps Back into Stuart Weitzman’s Iconic Boots for Its 40th Anniversary Campaign: ‘Full-Circle Moment’ (Exclusive Photos)

Gigi Hadid returns to the luxury footwear label 10 years after her first collaboration, joining Misty Copeland and Yang Mi in the fall 2026 campaign celebrating the brand’s iconic stretch footwear. See all the behind-the-scenes images here.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

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Gigi Hadid returns to Stuart Weitzman nearly 10 years after her first campaign, calling the reunion a “full-circle moment”

Hadid joins dance acclaimed dancer Misty Copeland and Chinese actress Yang Mi for Stuart Weitzman’s fall 2026 campaign celebrating the brand’s 40th anniversary

Stuart Weitzman celebrates 40 years of signature stretch footwear with a fall 2026 collection spanning iconic boots, loafers flats and sneakers

Stuart Weitzman is looking to its own fashion history for its next chapter. The brand’s 40th anniversary campaign reunites Gigi Hadid, Misty Copeland and Yang Mi, three familiar faces who have each left their mark on the label.

Shot against the skylines of New York City and Shanghai, the Fall 2026 campaign celebrates the women, the cities they represent and the design innovation that has been at the heart of Stuart Weitzman since it was founded in 1986: stretch.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

For Hadid, the campaign is also a chance to revisit a partnership that helped define an early chapter of her career. She was the face of Stuart Weitzman for five consecutive seasons, from Spring 2016 through Spring 2018, and co-created a series of limited-edition designs with the brand in 2016 and 2017.

A lot has changed since then. Hadid is now a mother and brand owner of Guest in Residence, in addition to being one of the most recognizable supermodels in the world. So returning to one of her first luxury fashion partners carries some extra meaning.

“I will always have a special connection to Stuart Weitzman as the brand was one of my first-ever luxury fashion partners, so to come back now, 10 years later, and as a mom, to celebrate their 40th anniversary feels like a full-circle moment,” Hadid shares in a press release.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

The nostalgia is intentional, but this isn’t simply a trip down memory lane. Stuart Weitzman is bringing together three women from different corners of fashion and culture, each with a distinct relationship to the brand.

Copeland previously starred in Stuart Weitzman’s Holiday 2019 campaign. The trailblazing ballerina made history in 2015 as the first Black female principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre and retired from ballet last year following a groundbreaking career. She has since continued her work as an author, mother and advocate through the Misty Copeland Foundation.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

Her return to Stuart Weitzman came only months after hip surgery, making the campaign’s message of confidence and perseverance particularly personal.

“The last Stuart Weitzman campaign I did was one of my favorites I’ve ever done, so I jumped at the opportunity to come back to celebrate their 40th…well, not jumped, seeing it was only months after my hip surgery, but I was thrilled, and I couldn’t be prouder to help tell the message of rising above any obstacle,” Copeland shared.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

Yang Mi brings a global fashion perspective to the trio. One of China’s most influential actresses, she is also a regular presence on international runways and magazine covers. Mi first partnered with Stuart Weitzman in 2019, when she co-created two limited-edition capsules for the Spring and Fall seasons.

Now she’s back, with Shanghai providing the backdrop for her portion of the campaign while Hadid and Copeland represent New York City.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

“I’m thrilled to reunite with Stuart Weitzman on its 40th anniversary. Looking back on our first collaboration in 2019, SW brought me to a broader global stage and expanded my fashion horizons,” Mi said in a statement. “Now, we’re coming together again to mark this milestone — because true confidence comes from within. The first journey took me outward, the second inward. SW has been there, helping me know myself better. We’ve always believed that every woman can find her own rhythm, in her own time, between strength and grace.”

The setting plays into one of Stuart Weitzman’s founding inspirations: the “Metropolitan woman.” In the brand’s telling, she’s someone who moves through the world with confidence, balancing different roles, cities and ambitions while keeping her style intact.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

The shoes are designed for exactly that kind of life.

For Fall 2026, Stuart Weitzman is leaning into its signature stretch construction with a collection that includes the Stuart Power Boot 75, 5050 Gisele Boot, Ultrastassi Boot, Stassi Stretch Bootie and Vinnie Bootie 50. The stretch story extends beyond boots, too, with the Bryant Loafer, Nia Ballet Flat, Vinnie Slingback Wedge 50 and Vander Sneaker.

It’s a natural evolution for a brand that has spent four decades making footwear that aims to balance polish with practicality. Stretch is still the recognizable Stuart Weitzman code, but the idea now applies across a much broader wardrobe.

Courtesy of Stuart Weitzman

And that makes the casting feel particularly apt. Hadid, Copeland and Mi have very different careers and come from very different worlds, but all three embody the modern multi-hyphenate woman Stuart Weitzman has long sought to dress. And for the brand, bringing them back is a way to celebrate its history while signaling what comes next.

“I am proud to lead this brand as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, as well as welcome back the iconic ambassadors Gigi Hadid, Misty Copeland and Yang Mi to wear our iconic stretch collection,” Jonathan Lelonek, brand president, said in a press release. “Stretch is an intrinsic part of the Stuart Weitzman story: It reinforces our commitment to craftsmanship and style-meets-comfort approach to design, which have ultimately set us apart in the luxury footwear industry.”

Forty years in, Stuart Weitzman is proving that sometimes the best way to move forward is to revisit what worked in the first place.

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