“I was very lucky”: Irina Shayk about her modeling career

Irina Shayk has been confirming her status as a recognizable name in the fashion world for several years now. Born Irina Shaykhlislamova, she seems to have effortlessly made her way from small-town beauty to global fashion phenomenon. Since posing for the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in 2011, Irina has become a pillar of high fashion, demonstrating an extraordinary career trajectory that many models only dream of.

And her character helped her in this. “I always say, don’t take no for an answer over the phone, be assertive. I'm very persistent. If you talk to my mom, she'll say, 'Oh, my God!'" she explains with a laugh. Her parents - a miner and a pianist - did not think, and for the time being she herself did not imagine that she would become a famous fashion model. “I think confidence wasn’t given to me at birth. I had a long road to all this,” admits Irina, showing numerous pictures from advertising campaigns with her participation. At the age of 19, she began studying marketing, and, in general, dreamed of becoming a lawyer. “Because you can’t argue with them, they’re always right,” she says with a smile. Having started her modeling career at 20, which is quite late by today's standards, she knew who she was and what she wanted to become.

Well, thanks to such fashion designers as Riccardo Tisci (Burberry) and Donatella Versace (Versace), Shayk got the opportunity to participate in shows of world famous brands: Mugler, Schiaparelli, Alaïa, etc. The first in this series was the Givenchy fashion show. It was then that she realized that she belonged to this “terrible and wonderful” high fashion community and knew how to fit into it well. But... “It takes a whole team to get to where you want to be,” she said about the difficult path to the top. Now, as she juggles motherhood and business with effortless grace, her versatility has made her irresistible in front of the cameras of photography masters such as Steven Meisel, Mert & Marcus, and Peter Lindbergh, who passed away in 2019.

Fresh off her recent big appearance at the 2024 Met Gala, the famous model spoke with Models.com about her historic start, the importance of finding her creative outlet, and what it takes to create an impressive photo. “I think the perfect shot comes when you find yourself in a kind of unexpected situation,” she revealed.