The Russian Model Invasion: New Faces to Know
Russia has always has a commanding presence within the world of fashion, but in the past few years the majority of the attention has been on street-style stars like Elena Perminova, Ulyana Sergeenko, and Miroslava Duma. Within the world of modeling, Russia remains one of the top destinations for scouting and development of new faces. The birthplace of supermodels like Natalia Vodianova and Sasha Pivovarova frequently yields a wealth of exciting new models, and that was especially evident this season. On the runways of Europe, a fresh crop of Russian models stood out: Girls like Irina Shnitman; Lia Pavlova and her twin sister, Odette; Katya Ledneva; and Sofia Tesmenitskaya were everywhere, walking high-profile shows like Gucci, Versace, Givenchy, and Lanvin. Even established Russian beauties like Irina Liss, Valery Kaufman, and Vlada Roslyakova made their presences felt with high-profile appearances at all the right shows. Russian models have long been lauded for their combination of work ethic and pristine beauty and the latest girls follow in those footsteps. Between them, the Russian newbies have walked more than 200 shows and racked up more runway mileage than anyone else. Get to know these Russian beauties.