Natasha Poly

In 2004, Natasha Poly, a young girl from Perm (an industrial city in the Urals) with high cheekbones and legs that go on forever, appeared on the catwalks and became the "it" girl of the year.

In less time than it takes to say "it girl", this impish-faced beauty conquered the catwalks. Unknown one day and fashion goddess the next, Poly has known an amazing shoot to stardom. However, growing up far from the world of fashion, in a family with a policeman for a father and an engineer for a mother, nothing indicated that this young Russian would become an internationally known model.

The circumstances of her recruitment remain vague. Apart from the fact that the Eastern European countries seem to be overflowing with incredible beauties, we do not know what brought the agency Women to meet Poly. What we do know is that in 2003 Poly arrived in Paris and in September she was already showing for Emmanuel Ungaro. Her physique, ethereal and very Russian, soft and modern, quickly got her noticed.

Several months after her arrival, she was booked for over 50 shows for the fall/winter 2004-2005 season. From New York to Paris via Milan and London, she discovered the effervescence of the modeling business and was seduced by its magic. She loved the electric charge before the show, the stage fright just before her entrance, and the euphoria backstage when the show was over.

She thought she was dreaming when she would bump into stars like Claudia Schiffer, Paul McCartney or Sarah Jessica parker backstage. She felt like she lived in a world made of sequins, overdosed with glamour, and she liked it very much. She one of the rare models whose ascent to the top of the ladder was so quick. In only several weeks, Poly found herself mixing with Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld and Alberta Ferreti.

After conquering the catwalks, the next step for a new top model would be to pose for magazine covers. Appearing on covers establishes the reign of the "it" girl, and puts her in contact with VIP photographers, giving her the chance to become extremely marketable. Vogue France, Russia, Australia are among the covers graced by Poly's natural cheerfulness, overflowing enthusiasm and faultless professionalism.

If 2004 was the year when she exploded onto the modeling scene, 2005 topped it: she showed for over 150 designers, posed for Gucci and Roberto Cavalli campaigns, and became a member of the Victoria's Secret dream team by making one of the more memorable entrances during the show. 2006 was somewhat less busy for Poly, but all her appearances were carefully chosen and very prestigious.

She has done almost all the haute couture shows, among them Chanel, Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Givenchy. She became an icon for Calvin Klein. In 2007, next to Raquel Zimmerman and Freja Beha, she played the role of Gucci's muse for the brand's perfume. She also participated in Gucci's ad campaign (filmed by David Lynch), closed the show for Fendi, and boosted Balmain by offering her angelic face for their fall/winter 2007-2008 campaign.

Often interviewed backstage, Poly seems very happy with her life and shows the kind of enthusiasm of a young girl who finds herself in a fairy tale. The only drawback to her career is the fatigue that can sometimes build up and make her irritable and less capable of enjoying the moment. Apart from that, she loves it. She has become a real shopping addict, wears Moschino shoes and worships Gucci and Chanel. After modeling? She sees herself going back to school and maybe opening a store where she will sell all her favorite designers.