Vlada Roslyakova

[WerbowyStegner]

thanks bluey

 

[blueberry_night]

Here you are! i hope you will appreciate my job if there're some mistakes, sorry!!!
my translation of the article from russian OK magazine:

In the west she is called the second after Vodianova. At her 19 years old she has already been working with such famous photographers as Mario Testino, Steven Klein, Terry Richards. Roslyakova represented MaxMara, Hermes, Burberry, Moschino and she has become the face of Dolce and Gabbana recently. She took part in 56 shows this year: Lois Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Lanvin etc. Vlada came to Moscow because of the invitation of Ralph Lauren. We met at 7 am in the Hyatt hotel before her departure to New-York where she spends most of her time now.
So by what time are you living now?
I’m living by Moscow time now. It took me two days to get used it. I’m loosing myself not in time, but in the place. I’m waking up and can’t understand where I’m now for a long time.
Did you see a dream this night?
No, I didn’t. I was so tired that I could barely go to bed. But the night before that my boyfriend was in my dream. He is pretty often in my dreams, I miss him so much.
Where is he now?
He is in Omsk. We met two years ago. I have just started working as a model that time. I came home from New-York to celebrate the New-Year and he was at the party.
So your love is through the distance?
Yeah, and it’s so hard! But we can handle it. Always call each other and speak about everything.
And when I have some free days I fly to Omsk at once.
All I know about Omsk is that there one of the best universities in Russia and famous ice hockey team “Avangard”
“Avangard” is our pride. I remember when I was 15 and didn’t know about it anything I was in the centre of the town with my girlfriend at 9 pm. It’s always crowded there but that day it was just empty. We just heard shouts from the near houses and couldn’t understand what it was. Then I came home I my dad told me that: “Daughter, we’ve just won the championship!” since then I’ve started watching hockey. Sometimes…
So what else did you do in Omsk?
I attended school, hung out with my friends. Nothing special. In the last grade of school I decided to enter university and study psychology.
So you have never thought about modeling?
No, I haven’t. But my mom was told that she was ought to send me to a modeling school. But what schools in Omsk? It’s just the waste of money. I was lucky: on the courses I met a girl from a modeling agency Eskimo in which I’m working now. She asked me whether I wanted to work as a model. I answered: “Why not?” She introduced me to a manager, I was made a portfolio and they told me after that: “you will work for 100%” I just laughed at them.
Why?
I didn’t believe that. My former classmates are always surprised: “How did she become a model?” I didn’t have any admirers at school; boys were interested in other kind of girls. That’s why when I came to my first castings I thought: “What a hell I’m doing here? There are so many beautiful girls”. But I was chosen. Maybe because of my diligence and hard working. Many girls often complain a lot. They come to a casting and on the question how are you? They answer: “Oh, I’m so tired…” it’s easy to work with me I never complain. I remember my first visit to Paris, I slept just two or three hours a day. If the show was at 10 am famous models could come at 8.30 but I was the new one so I had to come at 6 am. But when I was asked: “Are you tired?” I always answered: “No, I like everything”. My start was from the experiment of local designers from Omsk on me. I was 16. After half a year I flew to Tokyo.
So soon?
Yes, but I never did anything special for my career prospect. I was just phoned and told: “You are flying tomorrow there or there” I still don’t know the exact scheme how I was found.
Weren’t you scared?
Of course I was scared. You know all the stories about girls’ kidnapping and sexual slavery.
But I met a lot of models from Eskimo and asked them different questions about such stuff. Nobody told me any scary stories.
How did your parents react to such changes in your life?
My mom was calm but not my dad. I had problems with him about that. He is a policeman so he knows many “scary stories” about all this things. I have no idea how he managed to sign a contract! I was under age so I couldn’t leave the country without his permission. My mother conducted negotiations with him. I don’t know how she persuaded him. Dad still wonders…
Did you fly to Tokyo alone?
Yes I did. Just imagine, I’m staying in the airport with my luggage, not knowing English, and nobody meets me! I intended to call home and draw different awful stories in my head. And finally a man came up to me with my photo and name - Elena. He was just late. And I settled down…
Why Elena?
It’s my real name. Later my booker in Paris advised me to change it because there’re lots of girls with such name. I had two alternatives: Anel’ – it’s Lena back to front and Vlada – the part from my dad’s name. I chose Vlada.
Astrologists say that everybody has a destiny connected to your name….
Oh, there were a lot of changes in my life after becoming Vlada! When I cane to Tokyo I still was Lena and I had problems with my job. After shooting for the catalogue I just was doing nothing for two months. Then I flew to Paris as Vlada already and my first show was Yohji Yamamoto. I just couldn’t believe that! So many people and cameras…
So you haven’t been taught anything before that, right?
Yeah, that’s it. A model in Omsk just showed me once how to walk and that’s all.
I read that you are the only model in the world that walks moving the upper body back. It looks like you can break in two parts.
My catwalk isn’t made. It’s just because my fears at the first shows… my posture wasn’t good so I was told about that. I think I just put to much effort in straitening my shoulders (Laughing)
Did you thought about the fact that you are very popular in the west?
When I started modeling it was a boom time for girls who look like dolls – baby dolls. Now it passes I think. But it’s only my guess. I often hear about myself: “What is it that special about her?”
Have you always been so thin?
Yes, I have. 49 kg.
Forgive me, but I think your popularity is connected with your thinness too. On some photographs you look unhealthy and maybe that’s why we want to look at you again and again…
I’ve seen my photos form Balenciaga recently and thought: “Am I that thin?” but than I realized that my arms were retouched in order to make them too thin. Maybe they just need a sort of sensation, like look at this poor thing... so thin.. how does she even walk?
Do you know that there might be a ban on too thin models?
Yeah, they planned to do that last week but everything stayed as it is. I think that this problem is too overrated. I communicate with different models and I don’t know anyone among them who is being suffered from anorexia. What will I do if there will be such ban? I think I will just retire. What’s the other solution?
To gain weight
I've never put efforts to be that thin. I have never dieted. I eat like everybody three times a day. There are meat and fish in my ration. I can eat everything including bread. I just don’t gain weight. I can eat several hamburgers and not gain a gram. Today I had oatmeal for my breakfast.
What do you like most of your profession? The fact of being looked at?
Money (laughing). I understand that I wouldn’t get that money while doing something else. For one photo shoot I was made fake bangs. And my hair was visible a little bit so the stylist began to cut this hair. I protested but then I understood that hair will grow. But I will be paid instead (laughing)

So how much money do you want in general?
There’s not too much money. I want to get such status for gaining a long term contract. They will use it and I will just get money. And during this I would stay at home with children. And I would fly somewhere for weekends (Laughing). When I just came to Eskimo I was told: “One girl has worked for a year and earned enough money to buy a one room flat” I gasped. I wanted to have my own flat too. Now I’ve bought three roomed apartment and going to build a house.
In New-York?
No, in Omsk. I’m not ready to say that I will stay in New-York. I can’t live without my family and friends. It’s impossible to move them all there and also in Omsk everything is so native and familiar to me. I was born there and I want to live there. What to say… I go to Russian baths every Saturday.
According to what you said everything is so easy for you.
You just see me in a good mood. I’m in my motherland speaking my native language and I’m feeling well. But if you saw me two months ago: a shoot on the beach in a very cold weather at 4 am, then flight to Barcelona and then to Paris. There are some moments when you want to give up everything and start normal life.
So do you understand that your life isn’t normal?
Of course I do. Someone asks me: “What are you doing on Sunday?” my answer is: “I don’t know what I’m doing in the next three hours!” This evening after flying to New-York I can be asked to fly to London…
What are you going to do if your career decreases? Have you thought about that?
Not yet. But I have time… I like very much to sing. When I was a kid I wanted to become a singer I still want. But I’ve never studied doing that. But my friends say that I’m good at it.
What do you like to sing?
Something Russian from 80-s, especially Chanson
A top model who eats hamburgers and sing Chanson songs. Incredible…
It’s easy to sing them, that why I like it. When I come home and invite my friends we sing karaoke songs by “Vladimirskii central” (Prompt: Russian group who sings Chanson songs esp. about thieves and criminals). Maybe from the side it looks weird – Vlada Roslyakova’s singing about difficult fate of convicts.

 

[WerbowyStegner]

Karma! Is that the whole itnerivew? Thanks a lot

 

[blueberry_night]

yeah, it's the whole article! with photos it looks like a huge one... but that it is

 

[WerbowyStegner]

why is it that a lot of models went through this stage!?

Why?
I didn’t believe that. My former classmates are always surprised: “How did she become a model?” I didn’t have any admirers at school; boys were interested in other kind of girls.

 

[WerbowyStegner]

yeah, it's the whole article! with photos it looks like a huge one... but that it is

Thanks a lot I love her even more after reading!

 

[blueberry_night]

why is it that a lot of models went through this stage!?

Why?
I didn’t believe that. My former classmates are always surprised: “How did she become a model?” I didn’t have any admirers at school; boys were interested in other kind of girls.

you know the school is a "crazy" place! so what is beautiful is messed up! i bet that she was claimed as a hanger or a flat or something awful like this! boys in school prefer more attractive girls in their perception... i think you know what i mean with boobs and stuff.... and maybe because Vlada is a unassuming, unpretentious person.... i don't know... teenagers are teenagers!

 

[Nemezide]

i'm not sure do i like her more after reading it
she looks very static

 

[Hotaru]

Thank you so,so much for translating,blueberry_night.Karma!
Vlada is such a star now,isn´t she?That was a long article,it includes some interesting facts about her I didn´t know before.
So her dad was a police man?I guess she came from a strict family.
Singing russian chansons!She should become a singer after her modelling career.I bet her singing sounds very cute.

"And during this I would stay at home with children."Sound as if she wants to have a family after her modelling career.

 

[Nemezide]

i wonder what her bf is doing

 

[kissablekae]

i loveee the interview! thx bluebelly!

 

[blueberry_night]

i loveee the interview! thx bluebelly!

i think that he is in the iniversity or sth like this... cause i don't see lots of opportunities there in omsk... you know, if we talk about sth great about russia we mention moscow, st. petersburg... but i don't know... maybe he's already working... but i think that he's just a simple guy

 

[Deleted member 38847]

Thanks so much blueberry_night.

Love that interview. Vlada has become a real star but she is still uncomplicated, friendly and open minded. She still 'keeps her feet on the ground'.

Im very happy, that she is such a nice girl. I wish her all the best for her life and a very good friendship and love with her boyfriend.

And -of course- a long carrer with many many more beautiful pictures and videos for us - and a very good contract for the future.

 

[bela_nova17]

thanks soo much for the interview blueberry_night I just loved it!!

 

[Camera Lens]

i love her more than ever now!
and she's so hard-working

 

[sethii]

Thank you - that was a great translation

 

[Coolywah]

She does like singing! I remember I saw 2 videos of Vlada singing in the street

 

[sethii]

^ your avatar is so cute! can u post the full photo plz?

 

[voguelover94]

oh i wanna see her bf!!!

 

[blueberry_night]

in addition to this

Why Elena?
It’s my real name. Later my booker in Paris advised me to change it because there’re lots of girls with such name. I had two alternatives: Anel’ – it’s Lena back to front and Vlada – the part from my dad’s name. I chose Vlada.

according to wikipedia:

When Roslyakova began modeling she changed her name from Elena to Vlada, so she wouldn't be confused with fellow model Elena Rosenkova