Gigi Hadid has given a rare insight into life as a co-parent with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik and how it affects her life as a working mother.

The supermodel and designer, 28, and One Direction star, 30, share daughter Khai, who turns three later this month, from their on-off romance which ran from November 2015 until their ultimate split in October 2021.

While the pair remain fairly guarded about their union, in a new interview with NET-A-PORTER’s digital title, PORTER, Gigi spoke about her work commitments and how she is now forced to be ‘intentional’ due to her co-parenting arrangements.

She said: ‘I think when you are a parent, you have to be intentional because, now, I literally have half the time. I work when my daughter is with her dad and that’s the time I have. And the jobs that I choose to fill that time with have to be fulfilling’.

In an accompanying photoshoot with the interview, Gigi looked nothing short of sensational as she posed in a series of funky ensembles, including a chic suit with her bra on show underneath and bold coloured looks.

Gigi and Zayn’s relationship was famously tumultuous, with insights given when it was revealed her had a physical altercation with her mother Yolanda in 2021, which saw him charged with four counts of harassment.

He pleaded no contest to the charges after allegedly pushing his former partner Gigi Hadid’s mother into a dresser and calling her a ‘f*****g Dutch sl*t’ in September 2021.

Court documents revealed that he had to complete 360 days probation in addition to completing an anger management class.

Despite their trying times, the couple now happily co-parent, with Gigi revealing that the time spent with and without Khai helps dictate her work.

In the chat, Gigi revealed  Khai helps with her work for her brand Guest in Residence, saying: ‘Khai and her best friend are our fit models. They come into the office, Khai tries on one dress and then she’s like, ‘Do you want to go to the donut store?’”

Gigi launched Guest in Residence, back in 2022, and revealed she is working hard on learning the ins and outs of fashion production as well as how best to be a boss by being ‘assertive but not a b***h’.

Explaining about what she has learnt in her new role, she went on: ‘I have learnt a lot about being assertive, which doesn’t make you a b***h… As long as you do what comes naturally, which is not to be rude, you can say how you feel.’

On her support from those in the industry, she revealed her late friend and Off-White and Louis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh was a driving force behind her work with Guest In Residence and how she’s established herself beyond being a model.

She said: ‘I think about him a lot in this Guest In Residence job. He was someone who really encouraged me – and made me feel more confident that I was capable to be a creative director.’

Thanks to her work as a model, she gave insight into how she knows what people should wear: ‘I’ve probably worn almost every type of clothing you could ever wear…

‘I think I understand what works for people in their lives and what they want. And that starts with… these weird, crazy couture things I wear…

‘When I design, I don’t just think about myself as this flashy public figure that everyone sees, because that’s not what I am most of the time…

‘What my wardrobe is, and why I started a company like this, is what I know well and love: it’s all about classic basics – and making those fun.’

Away from the catwalk and design studio, Gigi revealed she also has her sights set on the screen or the stage if she received the right offer.

She said: ‘If and when the right script comes around, I’d still like to do a movie one day. I took acting classes for a few years in New York. But a lot of scripts that I’ve gotten over the years are just the most obvious roles for me to play.’

To see the full feature with Gigi Hadid read PORTER at https://www.net-a-porter.com/porter/article-53de7f8f851ce7d3 or download the NET-A-PORTER app for iPhone, iPad and Android