Newsmaker Of the week : Irina Shayk
Our Newsmaker this week is none other than Russian supermodel Irina Shayk.
At 29, she is a force to be reckoned with and is once again the talk of America (and everyone) as she currently dates Bradley Cooper.
Born (Irina Shaykhlislamova) on Jan 6 1986 in a small town called Yemanzhelinsk, the daughter of a coal miner dad and a music teacher the brunette beauty started modelling at the age of 19. Her ethnic Russian mother saw a notice for a local ‘beauty school’ on a bus stop wall and took her sister (Tatyana), but next door was a model agency. She was instantly spotted by the agency staff because of her beauty and took part in the Miss Chelyabinsk 2004 beauty contest which she won. Her first big break came in 2007 when she started modelling for Intimissimi lingerie (replacing Ana Beatriz Barros). In 2010 she became brand ambassador for Intimissimi with several lucrative contracts that followed with the likes of Beach Bunny, Guess, Lacoste and even Victoria’s Secret. She joined the IMG modeling agency in May 2009 and ever since her career began she has transitioned into the world of high fashion gracefully.
Her ultimate assignment came as the cover star of the prestigious Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, appearing from 2007 through 2014. She was the cover model for the 2011 issue and was ranked number one in the “50 Hottest Russian Women” list by Complex Magazine in that year. In 2010, Irina was voted Glamour Magazine’s International Model of the Year and starred in the music video for Kanye West’s hit song “Power.” In March 2011, Irina was bestowed the highest honor when she was chosen for the cover. She has been modelling successfully racking up campaigns for La Perla, Replay, Guess and Armani and has also appeared in numerous international fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle, Italian Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, GQ and Glamour.
She also launched a collaboration with Beach Bunny Swimwear. In 2014 she made big screen debut as Megara, the wife of Hercules, in the Hollywood movie ‘Hercules: The Thracian Wars” directed by Brett Rather. Success has not made Shayk forget her roots and her biggest achievement in life is her charity projects most prominently raising money for Russian charity Pomogi, which helps hospital patients pay for treatment.
But more than the notoriety of her rags to riches story is her relationships with high-profile desirable men. In 2010 Shayk met Cristiano Ronaldo through their Armani Exchange campaigns and they found love after modelling together. They also modeled for Vogue Spain’s June 2014 issue, in an editorial Titled “Love & Football : Together Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk strip their love for Vogue”. In 2011 it was rumored that the couple had got engaged months earlier, when Ronaldo proposed on Valentine’s Day. The relationship did not lead to marriage however, and Shayk split in January of this year when she found out he’d been secretly messaging girls all over the world.
While all is fair in love and war, Shayk has not been wallowing in the breakup however and has moved on with Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper. The couple have been pictured on various occasions showing plenty of PDA recently being spotted in NYC holding hands and making out in downtown N.Y.C. after attending the Met Gala last Monday. Shayk was also spotted getting a sweet kiss goodbye from Bradley at her London hotel last Wednesday. Looks like Irina appears to have mended her broken heart.
For more on Irina be sure to check out her profile on FMD and check back next week to find out who our next Newsmaker is.
By
Clinton
