8 most famous Russian models

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

On July 12, one of the most successful Russian top models, Natalya Polevshchikova, better known as Natasha Poly, celebrates her birthday. We congratulate Natasha on her 29th birthday and remember other Russian top models who have also achieved tremendous success in the modeling business.

Natasha Poly

The model was born in Perm on July 12, 1985. As a child, the girl often looked at the covers of glossy magazines and dreamed of someday being on one of them. In 2000, Natasha came to Moscow to participate in the Why Not competition of the prestigious Milanese modeling agency. In the competition, Natasha took second place, losing to Ksenia Stom. After the competition, the girl began to be invited to the shooting. She combined work with her studies at school.

At the age of 18, Poli signed a contract with the Women Management agency, with which she works to this day.

At the age of 18, Poli signed a contract with the Women Management agency, with which she works to this day. Natalia had an extraordinary image - on the one hand, she gave the impression of a romantic and fragile person, on the other, she looked like a teenage boy.

The model first appeared on the catwalk in 2004. First, there were shows of Emanuel Ungaro and the second line of Yohji Yamamoto Y’s, then at the Haute Couture Week she showed the Anne Valerie Hash collection. Less than a year later, Natasha was offered to take part in shows of famous brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Versace, Gucci, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Sonia Rykiel, Nine West, Dolce & Gabbana and Jimmy Choo. The girl flaunted on the covers of the most famous and reputable fashion magazines - Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, ELLE and Glamor.

Today Natasha Poly is one of the most sought-after models in the world, and the French edition of Vogue included the girl in the thirty best models of the 2000s.

In her personal life, Natalia, too, everything turned out well - she is married to businessman Peter Bakker and has a daughter.

Irina Shayk

Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Irina Valerievna Shaikhlislamova was born in the Chelyabinsk region, in the city of miners Emanzhelinsk. The girl grew up in a poor family. After the death of Irina's father, her mother took care of the family and worked two jobs. After school, the model tried to study marketing, but nothing good came of this venture. But at some point, Irina was noticed by an employee of a modeling agency. He was attracted by the unusual appearance of Shayk, because the girl mixed Russian and Tatar blood.

Irina's professional modeling career began after winning the Miss Chelyabinsk 2004 competition (at that time she was 18 years old). Irina started working as a model and, in particular, received an invitation to act in Paris. In 2007, the model became the official face of the Intimissimi brand. Irina is the first Russian model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. In addition, the girl has graced the covers of Annabelle, Bolero, Woman, Jalouse, Paris Capita, Ocean Drive, GQ, Glamor, Elle and Jalouse Russia.

Shayk has succeeded not only in the modeling business. Together with Diandra Forrest and Jessica White, the girl starred in Kanye West's video for the song Power. Irina hosted the fourth season of the TV show "Top Model in Russian", participated in the opening of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi and even played one of the main roles in the film "Hercules", which is scheduled to premiere on July 24.

Despite her fame, Irina did not forget about her native Emanzhelinsk. She actively helps the local maternity hospital, allocates funds for refusenik children, and also collaborates with the Help.org charity fund, raising funds for operations for sick children.

Natalya Vodyanova

The Russian supermodel was born in the city of Nizhny Novgorod in 1982. The girl lived without a father, with a mother and two sisters. In order to somehow help her mother, from the age of 11, Natasha was selling fruit on the street. Vodianova never finished school. At the age of 16, she got a job in a modeling agency, where she was noticed by representatives of Western modeling agencies Georgy Dzhikidze and Alexey Vasiliev.

In 1999, Natalia went to Paris for the Madison modeling agency competition, where she took second place. Thanks to the competition, Vodianova got a job and began to participate in shows of fashion brands: Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, Hermes, Kenzo, Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga, and so on.

In 2003, Natalia Vodianova entered the third hundred richest people in Great Britain.

In 2002, Natasha became the most sought-after model at New York Fashion Week, and after filming an advertisement for Calvin Klein, she was also the highest paid person of this label in its entire history. In 2003, Natalia Vodianova entered the third hundred richest people in Great Britain.

Like many celebrities, the girl is actively involved in charity work. In 2004, she founded the Naked Heart Foundation, which organizes the construction of playgrounds. Since 2011, the foundation has been participating in the Every Child Deserves a Family program.

The model was married to the British aristocrat Justin Portman, from whom she gave birth to three children. Now she is dating millionaire Antoine Arnault, the couple recently had a son.

Evgenia Volodina

Evgenia Evgenievna Volodina was born in Kazan into a large and friendly family. She was not going to become a model, Zhenya planned to enter a university. But life turned out differently, instead of the Kazan State Energy University, the girl went to Paris. At first, Evgenia had a difficult time: she almost did not know the language, lived in a tiny apartment and ran to castings all over the city. In addition, she was practically not invited to appear.

For two whole years, the girl lived, reflecting on her future fate, remembering her relatives and dreaming of major contracts. The dream came true, in 2002 she was noticed by the famous photographer Stephen Meisel, who saw in Volodina what no one could see - the potential and ability to communicate with the camera. After filming for Italian Vogue, Zhenya was noticed and invited to fashion shows.

Instantly, from a gray and useless model, Eugene turned into a real diva. She was waiting for the shows of Escada, Bvlgari, Versace, Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Jean Paul Gaultier, Céline and others. She also appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Numéro, Vanity Fair and Marie Claire.

Now Volodina lives in Paris, participates in fashion shows and studies interior design.

Anna Vyalitsyna

Another supermodel from Nizhny Novgorod. As a child, Anna attended ballroom dancing. This helped her in her career, because going to the podium requires plasticity, a sense of rhythm and the ability to hold on.

In 2001, Anna ended up in St. Petersburg, where she was noticed by agents of IMG-Models. She was offered to take part in a competition for MTV's Fashionably Loud Europe. The girl passed the casting, signed a contract with IMG Paris, and later with IMG New York. Ani's professional career began to gain momentum. Within a matter of weeks, Vyalitsyna became one of the most sought-after models. She was a real discovery, and Western critics gave her the nickname Russian Princess.

There were rumors that Vyalitsina had an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, but the girl denied this information.

The model was fortunate enough to work with brands such as Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Christian Lacroix, Carolina Herrera, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and so on. Anna was the face of Chanel Chance.

It was rumored that Vyalitsina had an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, but the girl denied this information, saying that she was only friends with a Hollywood actor. Until February 2014, she dated baseball player Matt Harvey.

Vlada Roslyakova

A model with a doll face - this is how she was remembered by the whole world. The girl was born in 1987 in Omsk. Vlada's real name is Elena. Once she was not going to associate life with the modeling business, her friend convinced her. And now she is already flying to Tokyo to conquer the catwalks and run on castings.

Vlada's debut took place in 2004 in Paris: she immediately took part in 20 shows. The model has collaborated with brands Gucci, Hermes, Nina Ricci, Burberry, Moschino, Dolche & Gabbana, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Sonia Rykiel, Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Valentino and many others.

By the age of 22, the girl was the muse of the French fashion designer Christian Lacroix, having received the right to represent his line of perfumery. Her photographs have graced the covers of Vogue, L’Officiel, Marie Claire, Spur, W Jewelry, Harper’s Bazaar magazines.

Shy Vlada does not like to talk about her personal life. It is only known that she has been dating one young man for a long time, dreams of a big house and three children.

Alexandra Pivovarova

Sasha was born in Moscow in 1985. Since childhood, she dreamed of becoming an artist. The girl often visited exhibitions and museums, and after school she even entered the Russian State University for the Humanities at the Faculty of Art History. At the institute, Alexandra met her future husband, photographer Igor Vishnyakov, from whom she gave birth to a daughter in 2012.

Her husband made the way to the modeling business for Pivovarova.

Her husband made the way to the modeling business for Pivovarova. He sent Sasha's pictures to the international modeling agency IMG. Two weeks later, the girl was already opening the Prada show in Milan. She participated in the shows of the new collections of Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Valentino and many others. She was the face of Giorgio Armani cosmetics and also represented the Olay and Tiffany brands.

Despite the fact that because of his career, the institute had to quit, Sasha continues to draw to this day. Alexandra Pivovarova is compared to an alien, since she has a peculiar appearance.

Now Sasha lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn. The model left the catwalk for a while and took up raising her daughter, although the fashion world still has not forgotten about her. Karl Lagerfeld even invited her to illustrate his fashion books.

Anna Selezneva

She is called the Russian Kate Moss. Anna studied at the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, which she never finished. One fine day on the street, an agent from Best Model Group approached the girl and offered to try herself as a model. Selezneva agreed and after 2 months she got her first job in Paris.

From 2008 to 2011, Anna starred for the covers of reputable glossy magazines, including Vogue, Tatler, i-D and V. Anna Selezneva is the favorite of many famous photographers who saw sophistication, emotionality and the ability to easily transform in the model. She has appeared in advertising campaigns for Guerlain, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Emporio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Vera Wang. She took part in shows for Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Valentino and so on.

The model prefers not to talk about her personal life.