Iris Strubegger

The fascinating Iris Strubegger (whom Nathalie Rykiel compares to a 1940s movie star) can boast that at 25, she is already in the good graces of the fashion world. Her haughty appearance, aristocratic profile, and androgynous-bordering-on-fragile silhouette have what it takes to inspire photographers and designers who cannot resist making her over into whatever they want.

Other people may bring back post cards or local specialties from their travels, but Strubegger came home from hers with a modeling contract. When she went to New York in 2002 for 3 months to study English, she was scouted in the street and advised to contact the Austrian offices of a certain modeling agency. This teen, who loved nothing more than mountain sports and skateboarding, thus found herself booked with Elite.

Her high cheekbones, perfectly straight nose, and piercing regard quickly intrigued Calvin Klein, who put her in his September fashion week show. Then Giorgio Armani became infatuated and offered her to become the face of Armani Collezioni. All this contributed to her entrance into Hint magazine's list of the most promising top models of 2003.

However, unable to reconcile her studies and her modeling, this beauty decided in 2003 to end her budding career.

It was not until 2007 that Strubegger, her studies now finished, decided to return to modeling. No longer obliged to juggle her classes and photo shoots, she could now concentrate on her career and invested herself completely in her work. Success was not long in coming.

She had barely finished registering at Supreme Management when the interesting projects starting pouring in: she posed for Pop, and opened the Spring/Summer 2008 show for Dries Van Noten. Strubegger, whose career was born in 2003, quickly became one of the top models sought by the biggest stars.

Beginning in 2007, nothing seemed to be able to stop her. She has shown for Balenciaga, Lanvin and Givenchy among others, before appearing on her first cover for Vogue Italy.

The 2008 Paris fashion week saw her showing for Alexander McQueen, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent, which in the modeling world equals a veritable grand slam. In 2009, when she became the icon for Balenciaga shot by the photographer David Sims, her fame took off.

The number of Vogue editorials she has done since are uncountable. Her modern look and sophisticated oval face have allowed her to replace numerous colleagues and land many contracts, such as Givenchy et Valentino fall/winter 2009.

The recent New York fashion week, in which she was seen opening for Marc Jacobs and closing for Rodarte, shows that the infatuation with this young woman is from fading.

When asked about the secret to her success, she simply replies that she tries to be nice and respectful, keeping in mind that it could all end at any moment. As for her top model status, she says that along with granting her several privileges, it has also given her the opportunity to work regularly with very talented people.

As for her personal life, she is in a perfect relationship with an Austrian financier and passes her free time sketching faces or trying photography.

Although she is known to have said: "If all the girls are as thin as a rake, you cannot come to a casting having love handles. If you want to work, you have to accept that. We can't change it," she does try to live healthy, by favoring open air sports (she is addicted to skiing and snowmobiling), avoiding alcohol and cigarettes, consuming liters of water per day and eating well.

At 25 years old, Strubegger has everything to stay on top for a long time to come.