Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid have been friends for well over a decade, first getting close as teenagers when Hadid’s sister Bella connected with Jenner online in the mid ’10s. Their friendship has played out in the public arena, on red carpets, and in the pages of magazines—but today, the duo go deep among the fields of dandelions in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, surrounded by a herd of grazing cows.
The dual Vogue cover stars have an honest conversation about each other’s lives, their careers, and some tangential tidbits about said cows, cowboys, and the sublime nature around them. They immediately get into it: What’s the biggest secret they’ve never told the other? For Hadid, it’s that she auditioned for the Rapunzel live action movie.
“I’m really proud of my acting scene,” says Hadid, “The singing…it needed work. Probably more than the three weeks I was given.”
“I need to see it,” Jenner says. “I’m really proud of you.”
“And when do we do stuff anymore that’s scary in this job?” asks Hadid.
They discuss the first time they ever properly met, though the details are fuzzy. After Bella and Jenner connected first online, they met in Jenner’s New York apartment, Bella with Gigi in tow. Hailey Bieber might have been there too.
As they skip stones on the sparkling water, Jenner asks Hadid why she doesn’t ride horses so much anymore (something her sister Bella has stayed committed to) despite having moved out of New York and to a farm house in rural Pennsylvania with her daughter Khai.
“I guess the priority for me is giving Khai my time when I’m with her. And when I’m not with her, that’s when I work,” answers Hadid. Once a dedicated equestrian and a volleyball player, Hadid misses the spirit of competition most.
“I’d recommend getting back into anything that you did especially when you were young that you were purely in love with,” advises Jenner, the same advice she’s given to their friend Hailey for finding her love for ballet again. “There’s something so therapeutic and nostalgic about it. It’s good for the soul.”
Hadid agrees—it’s a concept she’s been mulling over a lot: “Things that bring back childlike joy.” Jenner’s own childlike joy can be found among the lush surroundings of Wyoming, where she spent a lot of time growing up.
The pair get more into their friendship and its evolution into adulthood, navigating fame and the modeling industry in tandem. “I’m so grateful for what we’ve always had,” says Jenner. “Especially being able to grow up together in this unique environment.”
“Even though we didn’t fully know each other or start spending time together until we worked together, we could relate to each other in a lot of ways [because of] how the world perceived us, and those expectations on us,” adds Hadid.
They ground each other, they agree, and continue to do so. “I don’t take it for granted!” says Jenner.
As they stroll through nature, the two friends talk more, making wishes on dandelions and frolicking in the tall grass, and considering what bug they’d be if they were one. (Both would be a ladybug). They joke about finding Jenner a cowboy boyfriend. “Kenny Wants a Cowboy” a potential spin-off show, posits Hadid. “Where’s Bella when we need her?” laughs Jenner.
“You’ve done such a good job of finding balance in your life, working and living out whatever you want to do,” Hadid tells Jenner. “I think that’s what makes you one of the most sane people in this industry.”
“I have my shit for sure,” admits Jenner. “You have to almost…have a breakdown to breakthrough. I had to have that moment to come out the other side and find that balance.”
They talk about planning for the future, though neither see themselves as much of a future-proofer in the tumult of their lives. “I’ve taught myself to be more open to whatever comes,” says Hadid. It helps to be present and in the moment when seeing the world through Khai’s perspective, though. “I used to think I was a planner, like ‘I’m going to be married at 29 and have a kid at 30.’ And then life happens, right?”
“Trust the ride,” affirms Jenner. “‘Surrender to the universe,’ is what I always tell myself—when things are going great, but also when things aren’t going so great. you have to remind yourself there is a bigger plan and at some point, everything will make sense.” Times when she’s felt lost, confused, or upset—it all worked out.
“We’ve been through so much that not everyone knows about, Kenny,” says Hadid.
“No,” sighs Jenner, as the women walk with arms draped over the other toward the striking Wyoming mountains.
Director: Nina Ljeti
Director of Photography: Andrew Maso
Editor: Michael Suyeda
Senior Producer: Bety Dereje
Steadicam: Ryan Hannah
Set Manager: Ryan Stowers
1st Assistant Camera: Griffin Kerwin
2nd Assistant Camera: Morgan Shields
Audio: Chris Anderson
Production Assistant: Ella Grossman
Production Coordinator: Tanía Jones
Production Manager: Kristen Helmick
Line Producer: Natasha Soto-Albors
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Art & Graphics Lead: Léa Kichler
Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew
Supervising Editor: Kameron Key
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Global Talent Casting Director: Ignacio Murillo
Executive Producer: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Video: Romy van den Broeke
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Filmed on Location: Diamond Cross Ranch
