Anja Rubik

Her Nordic face, sparkling eyes, and very slender silhouette have placed her in the casting directors' good graces for the last several seasons. Anja Rubik alternates between shootings for H&M and Chloé, with stopovers on the covers of Vogue, Numéro and W magazine, and seems nevertheless to keep her feet firmly on the ground.

Rubik was born in Poland in 1985. Her parents, both veterinarians, suffered under the communist regime. As soon as their daughters, Anja and Joanna, were old enough to travel, they visited Greece for a vacation and decided to move there. The family moved from country to country, including Canada and South Africa, until 1992. Anja adapted well to these changes.

After the fall of the Berlin wall, her family returned to Poland; Rubik was only 7 but had already seen more of the world than many adults. She was a curious and creative child who knew exactly what she wanted. She decided early on to become a model, even if she did not know exactly what that meant. She convinced her mother who registered her in a local competition when she was 15.

Rubik was recruited by a Parisian headhunter, yet she continued to live in Poland, trying to continue school while beginning her modeling career. Rubik was a good student and even if she was attracted by the spotlights, she still enjoyed spending long hours studying Dostoyevsky and Hemingway.

In 2000, the Parisian agency had barely finished booking her when she was already asked to attend castings for the upcoming fashion week. She had very little difficulty acquiring places on some of the most prestigious catwalks, e.g., Givenchy, Rochas and Nina Ricci. For the next two years, Rubik modeled during her school vacations. In 2002, she realized that she had a real chance of making a career in the business, but that in order to do so, she had to be present. She moved first to Paris, then quickly changed for New York.

She began her real modeling career, far removed from the glitter that make up so many girls' fantasies. She quickly understood that she would need a lot of endurance, patience and perseverance, and that to stand out among the hundreds of beautiful girls, she would have to be in the right place at the right time. For two years, she went to casting after casting, and like so many models, worked hard in the shadows.

It was not until 2005 when Rubik was 20 that suddenly things took off. She met Mario Testino who, as always, recognized a future top model when he saw one. He called on her often and she appeared in ad campaigns for Jimmy Choo, Armani cosmetics, Ungaro, Versace, and Chloé.

Her climb to the top was dizzying: her name was on everyone's lips, her silhouette became recognizable, and everyone started to ask for her angelic face and long lines. She became the one they wanted, and her life changed considerably.

Her growing fame made meeting other professionals in the business easier, an aspect she appreciated. Her relationships with the designers, photographers and other models were now based on mutual respect. She had come out of the shadows and found herself pampered and well paid.

Perhaps it was her youth spent in the Eastern block or the uncertainty of her career, but Rubik did not spend frivolously. She was more cautious than carefree, allowing herself only occasionally a gift for herself or her family.

Her status as a top model continued to grow in 2006. She became one of the faces of Estée Lauder, posed solo for the Tommy Hilfiger and Tod's campaign, and was offered the closing position during the Paris fashion week by John Galliano. Vogue, a bit late in putting Rubik on their covers, caught up and she appeared on the cover of the Italian version.

In July 2006, Rubik was rewarded by the most prestigious of juries. She who had in the end spent little time on the catwalks found herself booked by all 5 of the biggest Haute Couture shows: Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Lacroix and Gaultier. Her career was officially launched and she walked the catwalks with honors. In 2007, she further developed her image by becoming the muse for Estée Lauder and Chloé.

The spotlights were all turned on her, yet she was conscious of not wanting to lose her freedom. She wanted to remain a free agent and decided to cut off her hair as a symbol of her independence. During an interview, she criticized Porn Chic, saying that she found it appalling, and was sorry for the image of women and sexuality that was transmitted by this kind of campaign.

Rubik knows very well that her work is based on her physique and is very rigorous about her diet. Milk products are out, as are fats, and even if she likes making cakes, she is not the one eating them.

She is pursuing her goal: to work with the best photographers for the best magazines. As one of the three faces of Chloé's new perfume, with Clémence Poésy and Chloé Sevigny, she is in the right place and time, at the forefront of what is hip.

As for her style, she is fickle and can pass from grunge to sophisticated, depending on her mood and situation. Given the number of fashion houses that make up her fan club, she would be wrong to deny herself.