The modeling industry is closely related to fashion and marketing. Most people would think about fashion shows when someone mentions them modeling. While some models can have a huge success by promoting various brands or even get a chance for a role in some movie or TV show. Some of the most popular examples of that are Monica Bellucci, Cameron Diaz, and Kim Basinger, who all started their careers as models.
There are many types of modeling today, like runway modeling, fitness modeling, glamour, alternative, promotional, plus size, and parts modeling. Besides promoting fashion lines from most popular brands, many models are getting jobs for making commercials of all kinds of products. The country that offers the biggest chances for a model to become more successful is the United States. We can see that there are models who are living in this country from all other parts of the world. We are going to introduce you to some of the most popular models born in Russia.
1. Ria Serebryakova
Besides having a successful career as a top model, Ria Serebryakova is also a well-known activist and influencer. She became popular after hitting the fashion scene in New York. The passion that she is showing while presenting various pieces of clothes and her intentions to show people how important it is to become more responsible for our environment. When it comes to Rya as a professional model, some of her biggest successes were fashion shows of some popular brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Tory Burch, and Gucci. Also, she was part of the marketing campaigns of Ray-Ban and L’Oréal. She also had a photo exhibition in New York under the name ‘The 2084’, where she showed a set of pictures that can awake people and see all concerns related to ecology and how we need modern solutions to save our environment. RyaSerebryakova is also part of Official Models NY.
2. Irina Shayk
Irina Shayk is one of the most popular models in the world. She was born in Chelyabinsk in Russia in 1986. Her unusual and fascinating look makes her one of the most recognizable faces in the world of fashion today. Her first success in modeling was during 2007 when Irina became a part of the marketing campaign of Intimissimi lingerie. Besides that, she appeared in the well-known magazine, Sports Illustrated during the same year. In years after that, she was on covers of some of the most popular magazines in the world, such as Marie Claire, GQ, Vogue, Italian Vanity, and Glamour. Some of the most popular brands she worked with are Armani, La Perla, and Guess. On the other hand, she is also active in charitable work, and organizations such as Pomogi, and Red Cross. Besides being a successful model and influencer, she also had some TV roles, like one in a movie Need For Speed, or a comedy show Inside Amy Schumer.
3. Anne Vyalitsyna
Anne Vyalitsyna is another popular and beautiful model, born in Russia, in Nizhny Novgorod. Her biggest success is the appearance in Sports Illustrated for 7 continuous years from 2005 until 2011. Furthermore, she was a part of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for a couple of years. Also, she had a role in a music video of a group Maroon 5. Furthermore, she had a small role in movies A Good Day to Die Hard and Lullaby.
4. Valentina Zeliaeva
Valentina is a classic example of unique beauty only seen by Russian women, with bright skin color and blue eyes. During her career, she worked with some of the most popular brands like Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Balenciaga, Dior, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. Also, she was on cover pages of Vogue Magazine in Mexico, Greece, Spain, and China. In 2007, she became one of the highest-paid models. She also has two TV shows about her career in the modeling and fashion industry.
5. Vlada Roslyakova
Vlada represents another model with the unique beauty of Slavic people. She got her first job in modeling in Moscow, while the greatest success starts when she moves to Tokyo. Besides being referred to as one of the skinniest models ever, she managed to collaborate with many popular brands. The start of her career was very intense for her since she started working with the most popular designers all at once. Some of those brands are Nina Ricci, Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara, and Moschino Cheap & Chic. She has a title as one of the most popular models of the 2000s, and Vogue placed her in the top 30 models of the 21st century.
6. Natasha Poly
Natasha is another successful model born in Russia who managed to work with almost all of the famous brands like Missoni, Gucci, Jil Sander, Givenchy, and Lanvin. She has a unique ability to provoke people with different facial expressions, which makes her perfect to promote all sorts of clothes and products. Furthermore, she had a role in a music video for a song M.I.L.F $ from Fergie, and in many fashion shows like Victoria’s Secret, Versace, and Valentino. She has two kids, Adrian, and Aleksandra, with her husband Peter Bakker.
7. Natalia Vodianova
Natalya is a great example of how many models are thriving to give more for the environment and charity work. She is a founder of the Naked Heart Foundation, which is working on creating a better and safer environment for the kids in Russia. Besides her work as an activist and influencer, she also has a rich modeling career. Some of the most popular brands she worked with are Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, and L’Oreal. She is also successful as an actress, with roles in movies like Clash of the Titans, Together Forever, Belle du Seigneur, and more.
8. Irina Kulikova
Irina is one of the youngest models in this list, she was born in 1991, in Kirov in the former Soviet Union. She became a model at a young age when she was 16. Her story is interesting because she starts her career after Liv Tyler, and some models from IMG spotted her in some restaurant in Moscow. Some of the biggest brands she was working with are Marc Jacobs, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Calvin Klein. Also, she presented and opened shows for Donna Karan, Dior, Dries Van Noten, and many other famous people in the fashion industry.
