'I never felt powerful' Bella Hadid criticises Victoria's Secret, praises Rihanna's lingerie brand

Bella Hadid has spoken out about her experience as a Victoria's Secret Model. Photo / Getty Images

Bella Hadid is one of several high profile models to walk the runway for lingerie brand Victoria's Secret - and now the star has revealed she never "felt powerful" modelling underwear.

That is until Rihanna's underwear brand Savage x Fenty launched. Hadid told director Loic Prigent at the Vogue Fashion Festival: "Rihanna's amazing. For me, that was the first time on a runway that I felt really sexy," she said.

Hadid walked in Rihanna's fashion shows for her brand in 2018 and September this year.

"When I first did Fenty, I was doing other lingerie shows and I never felt powerful on a runway, like, in my underwear," she said.

Bella Hadid, Rihanna and Gigi Hadid backstage at the Savage X Fenty Fall/Winter 2018 fashion show on September 12. Photo / Getty Images

She says Rihanna instructed her to "walk any way that she wanted", and the advice helped her feel more confident on the runway.

The 31-year-old added the beginning of her modelling career was a difficult time for her.

"I would cry every single morning, I would cry during my lunch breaks, I would cry before I slept."

"I was very emotionally unstable for a while when I was working 14-hour days for four months straight as an 18-year-old. I think I just wanted to breathe a little bit."