The rise of supermodel Irina Shayk, from Russia to the world

You may gotten to know her when she was in a relationship with Portuguese top footballer Cristiano Ronaldo in 2010. Since then, Irina Shayk has come a long way, and now she is one of the biggest fashion icons of her generation.

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The Russian model has been modeling for the biggest fashion designers for over a decade now. And she still causes a sensation on the catwalks! Here, for example, she is at the Ferrari show at Milan Fashion Week in September 2023.

Discover in the rest of this gallery the journey of Irina Shayk, a woman who has captivated the entire planet with her piercing gaze, her perfect curves, and her natural charisma!

She was born on January 6, 1986, in Yemanzhelinsk, a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, where she spent her childhood with her older sister, Tatiana, and parents, Valery and Volga.

Irina Shayk, born Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova, undertook to shorten her name to simplify its pronunciation.

Irina's teenage life was not easy. Her father, who was a coal miner, died of pneumonia when she was only 14 years old. From that moment on, she could only count on the support of her mother (who was a kindergarten music teacher) and her sister.

Her mother has blue eyes and very fair skin. Her father, on the other hand, was of Tartar origin and had darker features. For this reason, many people think that she is South American. Her skin color, more tanned than the rest of her town, caused her to get bullied at school.

Photos: Instagram (@irinashayk)

Irina was much taller than her classmates and her 'exotic' features provoked ridicule. However, this physique allowed her to land her first job...

How did she get started in the fashion world? Well, as it usually happens in these cases, there was a lot of luck and coincidence involved. One day, her mother, standing at a bus stop, saw an ad for a modeling agency and immediately thought of taking her daughter Tatiana (Irina's sister) to the casting.

However, Irina was also present that day, and she was the one who attracted the attention of the agency's managers. It was the beginning of her spectacular career.

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She was elected Miss Chelyabinsk in 2004, a beauty contest organized in her region, and then began working as a model. Leaving Russia, she signed with the Elite agency in Barcelona.

Irina Shayk began her career in modeling by working with the lingerie brand Intimissimi from 2007 to 2009. Unlike many other lingerie, she managed to take the step into the closeted world of high fashion.

In 2010, she attracted media attention due to her private life. At the time, Irina was dating Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. The two had met during a photo shoot for Armani Exchange in 2009.

For those who'd never heard of her yet, 2011 offered another possibility. That year, she posed for the American magazine 'Sports Illustrated.

It was at this point that her career began to take off. Everyone wanted her. The model even tried her luck in cinema, playing the character of Megara in the epic 'Hercules' (2014) alongside Dwayne Johnson.

Irina Shayk starred in the music video for Kanye West's 'Power' (2010). She also appeared in the video for Marc Anthony and Romeo Santos' song 'Yo, también' (2015).

By the time of her second music video, rumors of Cristiano Ronaldo's infidelity were multiplying in the press. Tired of it all, the Russian model ended their relationship in 2015.

Irina revealed that in Ronaldo's company, she felt 'ugly and insecure'. As the Washington Post quoted her: "I want a man who is faithful, honest, a gentleman who knows how to respect women."

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Before Ronaldo, Irina had already dated public figures such as the Italian business leader and producer Valerio Morabito, the rapper Ryan Leslie, and the drummer of the rock group Linkin Park, Rob Bourdon.

However, her most important relationship was with actor Bradley Cooper between 2015 and 2019. The famous couple had a daughter, Léa de Seine, born in March 2017.

After the much-reported breakup with the actor, we could see her on the arm of playboy Vito Schnabel. Kanye West also got the chance to date the beautiful model. Strikingly, the rapper had already referred to her a few years earlier in his song 'Christian Dior Denim Flow' (2010).

Page Six reported in September 2022 that Bradley and Irina were getting close again. Sources close to the 'couple' even claimed that ''Bradley and Irina were seriously considering the possibility of getting back together," and the media outlet hinted at the arrival of a possible brother or sister for Léa de Seine. However, in the end, their relationship has always remained enigmatic and seemingly platonic.

During the summer of 2023, Irina Shayk had a romance with American football star Tom Brady. They were spotted together in a London hotel, the Daily Mail reported, and from that moment, the media went wild.

The relationship was never made official and after the summer of 2023, it was already over. Meanwhile, as the mother and father of Léa de Seine, Irina and Bradley Cooper did go on vacation together... Well, why not?

On March 1, 2022, Irina posted the following message on her Instagram profile: "No to war. I will donate to UNICEF and the Ukrainian Red Cross." Without a doubt, an important public stance from one of the most influential Russian models of her generation.

Her opinion matters because Irina Shayk has established herself as a celebrity. She dominates the fashion industry by representing many brands, such as Marc Jacobs Beauty, Burberry, Givenchy, and Versace, and she's a trendsetter for fashionistas all over the world.

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