Ivan Bart Dies at 60: Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Ashley Graham Lead Tributes After Shocking Death of Former IMG Models President
Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Ashley Graham lead the tributes following the shocking death of Ivan Bart last weekend.
The former president of IMG Models died at the age of 60 after an unspecified short illness.
Earlier this year, in March, he left his top job at IMG Models after 30 incredible years at the world-famous modeling agency.
During his decades-long career, he shaped the careers of iconic supermodels, including but not limited to Carolyn Murphy, Stephanie Seymour, Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen, Joan Smalls, Kate Upton and Tyra Banks.
His death was confirmed by Mark Shapiro, the president and COO of Endeavor, the parent company of IMG Models.
Remembering his legacy, Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Ashley Graham lead the tributes following Ivan Bart’s shocking death this weekend. The former president of IMG Models died at the age of 60 after an unspecified short illness
âIt is with overwhelming sadness and deep regret that I share that Ivan Bart, former president of IMG Models and a pioneer in the fashion industry, passed away this weekend,â he wrote in an email to company employees. Women’s clothing everyday.
âOver the course of three decades at IMG Models, Ivan literally changed the shape and face of the modeling industry from within,â Shapiro continued. âHis relentless pursuit of diversity and inclusivity challenged fashion’s gatekeepers and created household names whose ubiquity has inspired generations.â
In 2018, Bart received the Social Impact Award at FIT’s Annual Awards Gala and gave a moving speech in which he said: ‘What we see in advertising and on the catwalk should reflect who we all are.’
He famously advocated for plus-size models such as Candice Huffine, Ashley Graham, Precious Lee and Zach Miko.
After hearing about his tragic passing, Graham and a plethora of supermodels took to Instagram to share their tributes in honor of their late friend.
Graham shared a post on her Instagram Story thanking him for being “such a champion of mine” and her “forever friend.”
“I’m still processing the news and know I will continue to do so in the days, weeks and months to come,” her post began.
âYou were one of the most integral parts of my career, your impact moved mountains and broke down so many walls for myself and so many others,â she continued.
‘An icon’: After hearing about his tragic passing, Graham and a plethora of supermodels took to Instagram to share their tributes in honor of their late friend. Graham shared a post on her Instagram Story thanking him for being “such a champion of mine” and her “forever friend”
‘Legend’: In her touching tribute, Gigi Hadid gushed about the ‘legend,’ her close friend who she called ‘Forever ‘My Boss’
âYou were such a champion of mine,â she said of Bart. âI can’t thank you enough for the opportunities you created for me, the time you invested in me and the help you provided to navigate such a tough industry.â
She said he was “a storyteller, an icon, a problem solver, a forever friend” before adding, “I miss you so much already and I love you forever, Ivan.”
Gigi Hadid began her touching tribute by saying, âIvan. I have no words for this loss yet.
‘I will never forget your spirit and hugs, your support and fight for others,â she continued. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you… for everything.
âRest In Peace Legend,â she wrote at the end of her note. ‘Mr. Bart. Forever “My boss.” You are so loved.â
Her father, Mohamed Hadid, wrote a lengthy caption, saying Ivan was “an amazing person and the ‘most gentle soul.’
âMost gentle souls… a wonderful human being, I am saddened by this news,â he wrote.
âHe was a guiding light for everyone his life touched,â he continued. ‘God bless his soul. My condolences to his family and his friends⊠he was loved.â
Touching note: Her father, Mohamed Hadid, wrote a long caption saying Ivan was “an amazing human being and the ‘most gentle soul’
A slew of tributes: A plethora of A-list names like John Legend, Hailey Bieber, Cindy Crawford and Emily Ratajkowski took to the comments section of the post shared on Ivan Bart’s official account to share their condolences
Hailey Bieber left a short and sweet message in the comments section alongside three broken heart emojis: “Love you Ivan.”
Track icon Cindy Crawford also said: ‘Oh no! Sorry to hear this sad news.â
Model and former actress Emily Ratajkowski left three broken heart emojis under the post.
Singer-songwriter John Legend shared a broken heart emoji and simply wrote, “Oh my god.”
Shanina Shaik wrote in the comments, âI’m heartbroken omg! It’s a blessing to have known you Ivan… you will be missed!’
Rachel Zoe also left a sweet note in the post in response to her friend’s death.
A blessing: Shanina Shaik wrote that she was ‘heartbroken’ and said it was ‘a blessing to have known Ivan’
The best of the best: Rachel Zoe noted that the tragedy meant ‘we’ve lost the best of the best’
Heartbroken: Georgia May Jagger said she was heartbroken by the tragic news
“I don’t remember,” she began. ‘My heart is broken. I have known and loved Ivan since the day I started in the industry.â
She added: âWe lost the best of the bestâŠone of one.â
Georgia May Jagger said: âThis is so heartbreaking I can’t believe it. I’m so sorry’.
Bart is survived by his husband, Grant Greenberg, his family, many friends and the IMG family, Shapiro said in the company email.