come as you are, daria werbowy
There’s nothing ordinary about our Spring 14 cover star. Her favourite Nirvana song isn’t Smells Like Teen Spirit. Her body isn’t plausible and her face doesn’t fit the mould. She isn’t a model... she’s a supermodel.
There are many things that make Daria iconic. She has sailed the Atlantic and lived to tell the tale. She was the last person to be photographed by Helmut Newton before he died. She snowboards as well as she catwalks. And apparently holds the record for opening and closing the most shows in a season, but she doesn’t know if that’s true and doesn’t much care either. She is unbelievably cool, unachievably tall and unassumingly nice.
Like the other 38,000 who follow her on Instagram, i-D is addicted to Daria. Load more, load more, load more! From her profile, you understand that the 30-year-old beauty spot is an artist and a photographer, and not in that faux filter way where anyone can be – Daria’s posts really are beautiful, so well composed, so well considered, diverse, vast and fun. Of trees, of lakes, of her travels in India, of her musically trained dog Strawballz, of her family, and in support of her native Ukraine during these terrible times of conflict. “Ukraine belongs to the people of Ukraine. #supportUkraine”.
Daria is a star on the Canadian walk of fame alongside fellow super Linda Evangelista, having grown up there since the age of three. She was scouted at 14 but decided to finish school before becoming beautiful professionally. After a rocky start in the industry, she caught the attention of Steven Meisel, who taught her the tricks of the trade and put her in the Prada campaign of 2003. Since 2005, Daria has been the face of Lancôme, and over the years has been everybody’s girl, from Gucci, to Chanel, to most recently Céline and Balenciaga’s. She is one of the most coveted models in the world, but has retained, along with the best of her breed, that untouchable quality that qualifies her to the super league.
For the last two years, Daria has been taking a break from full-time modelling, moving to West Cork in Ireland, to a quieter life. Now hand- picking her jobs to suit a zen-ner lifestyle, we are honoured to have Daria as our spring cover star, her second ever for i-D. In this new age of fast fashion and Daily Mail models, take a moment to look at the poise and timelessness of her beauty. She’s pure class.
What does the name Daria mean?
My name is Persian and means ‘the sea’ and my last name is Ukrainian and means ‘willow tree’.
How do you like to spend your Sundays?
I love days that start with ‘S’! Sundays early morning in the city are the best. Sunday is my reading day.
When do you feel most alive?
On or in the ocean.
What scares you?
Not much, but large social gatherings kinda do...
What makes you happy?
Road trips.
What makes you laugh?
Cass Bird.
What was the last dream you had (that you can remember)?
I have a reoccurring dream where I’m an amazing skateboarder and I ride around the city in an alternate universe where everything is made of colourful geometric shapes.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Nothing is real.
There’s a lot of creative energy coming out of Toronto right now, what was it like growing up there?
Toronto is one of the best places to grow up, it’s so culturally diverse and there’s so much access to nature, and of course there’s Tim Hortons and Harvey’s!
What does the view look like from your house in Ireland?
Heaven. There are ocean cliffs and cows.
Describe West Cork in three words...
Mystical, rough and profound.
Vogue’s Kate Phelan once described you as “elusive and exclusive.” What’s the greatest compliment anyone has given you?
That’s a pretty good one.
What’s your favourite book?
Women Who Run With The Wolves: Contacting the Power of the Wild Woman.
Your anchor tattoo on your finger is in your i-D cover shot. What does it mean to you?
Old sailor’s tattoos. When you cross the Atlantic, you get an anchor tat.
What’s your favourite object?
A camera or peestyle.
What’s your favourite colour?
I don’t have one.
If you weren’t Daria Werbowy, who would you have liked to be?
A giraffe.
What did you do for your 30th birthday?
Got a convertible Cadillac and drove around Havana.
What’s the best party you’ve ever been to?
My surprise 30th. Diddy and Bieber came (as cardboard cut-outs!)
What’s your favourite Ashtanga yoga position?
Ohhhh, Supta Kurmasana or Baddha Konasana.
Who’s your best friend?
My dog, Strawballz.
What’s your favourite TV show?
Game of Thrones, right now.
If you could be a character in a film, who would you be?
Napoleon Dynamite.
What’s your favourite Nirvana song?
Oh wow, that is the hardest question! Aneurysm and Serve the Servants, I guess Old Age too though...
What song makes you think of... Love?
Lynard Skynyrd, I need you.
Good times?
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Lola.
What’s your favourite word?
Shitballz/Nicewaaaaaaan!
(i love it)
