From the glamour of Cannes to cosy winters in the Swiss Alps.
Watching Bella Hadid return to the Cannes Film Festival this year, gliding through the Riviera in archival couture and oversized sunglasses, made me wonder what travelling like the supermodel actually looks like, beyond the red carpets and flashbulbs. Because while her life is undeniably glamorous, there’s also something surprisingly relaxed about the way she seems to move through the world.
I imagine travelling like Bella isn’t about rushing between tourist landmarks or overplanning every moment. It feels more like waking up slowly somewhere beautiful, throwing on an oversized linen shirt over a bikini and letting the day unfold. Relaxed lunches by the sea in the South of France. Last-minute boat trips in Mykonos. Quiet mornings spent swimming before anyone else is awake.
Cannes feels like the perfect starting point for that fantasy. Every year, the French Riviera transforms into this cinematic world of yachts, terraces and endless golden light, and Bella somehow embodies all of it without looking like she’s trying too hard. That’s probably what makes her travel style so aspirational. Even in the most luxurious places, everything still feels effortless. Hair slightly undone, minimal makeup, vintage jewellery, flat sandals in the daytime and something dramatic for evening. Nothing feels overly polished or forced.
It also made me think about how often her travels are so varied. One month it’s the Riviera during Cannes, another it’s somewhere completely different like Mykonos, where she and Gigi once spent days posting photos from yachts, hidden beaches and whitewashed streets that instantly made everyone want to book a Greek island escape. Looking back at those photos, it wasn’t even about where they were staying so much as the atmosphere around them. The freedom of it all. Saltwater hair, sunset dinners and days without structure.
Then there’s the quieter side of her travels that feels even more appealing. I always imagine Bella disappearing to a tropical destination when she needs to fully switch off. Places like the Cayman Islands, where she has stayed at Palm Heights, offer the opportunity to slow down. She often travels with her mother, Yolanda, and her brother Anwar. Morning swims, snorkelling trips, fresh fruit by the beach and entire afternoons spent barefoot. The kind of trip where your phone slowly stops mattering.
Even her winter trips feel cinematic. I can completely picture her somewhere in the Swiss Alps after fashion month, wrapped in oversized knits, sitting by a fire after skiing all day, while snow falls outside. It’s glamorous, of course, but never in an intimidating way.
Maybe that’s ultimately why Bella Hadid’s travel world feels so captivating. It’s luxurious, but still relatable. It’s not just about where she goes, but the feeling she creates around each destination. And honestly, watching her step back onto the Cannes red carpet this year made me want to romanticise my next holiday just a little bit more.
By Lindsay Judge
