Anna Selezneva

Thanks to the support of Carine Roitfeld, the young model Anna Selezneva has conquered the advertisers, designers and critics in only two years time in the fashion market. Her little feline face as well as her perfectly-proportioned slender physique have charmed Vogue's editor in chief who has offered her several appearances in the magazine.

While many girls knock on one modeling agency door after another without success, and many others work the catwalks for many seasons without once seeing their names in the press, Selezneva seems to have easily bypassed these little annoyances. In fact, this young Russian has not known the anonymity and casting-call anxiety experienced by so many models. This rebellious post-adolescent arrived in Paris and immediately wowed the bookers, hypnotized the photographers and intrigued the press.

Selezneva was born in Moscow on July 29, 1990. She had an easy and happy childhood in a warm and loving home. As a young girl, she dreamt of the Paris ballet instead of catwalks, and spent all her free time practicing her entrechats and point shoes under the rigorous eye of her ballet teacher.

Her dance training shaped her body and, in addition to her unusual beauty, gave the 17-year-old a ballerina's silhouette, a fact not missed by the headhunters.

Encouraged by her entourage, Selezneva left for Paris in Spring 2007 where she was immediately signed by Silent Management. In less time than it takes to develop a Polaroid, this newcomer found herself on the catwalks of the Spring Summer 2008 shows for Dries Van Noten, Celine, and Akris, among others.

Her ultra-modern appearance, her pointed look and her agile bone structure attracted a lot of attention, and she appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue the following November.

The following February, she opened Christophe Decarnin's Balmain show in Paris and immediately became a "one to follow" girl. Balmain, in addition to being fashionably enthralling, is loyally supported by Vogue, propelling Selezneva to the summit of the fashion sphere.

One month later, the battle of the star photographers wanting to capture the image of the new darling began. Mario Testino shot her for V Magazine in March, which placed her in the top 10 models of 2008, (barely six months earlier she was an unknown). The following July, the young Russian took her first steps in the world of haute couture at Anne Valérie Hash and Valentino.

This was followed by an important event in her career that confirmed her status as a bankable model: she posed for Steven Meisel for her first advertising campaign, becoming one of the faces of Calvin Klein. Then Carine Roitfeld (Vogue France) entered into the dance and booked her for her August issue, in which the frail Selezneva, shot by Terry Richardson, was literally radiant.

Selezneva's career path gets better and better. She became the icon for Anna Sui's perfume, she simultaneously posed for the covers of Vogue France and Russia, showed exclusively for Calvin Klein, became a recurring presence in the Balmain shows, replaced Kate Moss for YSL (Elle perfume), and posed for the cover of Vogue Japan, March 2009.

In addition, the mini-scandal, provoked by a US-censored Calvin Klein commercial in which she participated, gave her a rebel touch, accentuating her mysterious aura.

Off stage, the young woman has acclimated to her life in Paris. Although many of her colleagues prefer NYC, Selezneva prefers le charme de Paris. She studies photography and is considering taking up ballet again when she has enough time, which all things considered, will probably not be right away.