Irina Shayk
Who was Irina Shayk?
Russian supermodel who became the first Russian to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2011. She has been in high-profile relationships with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bradley Cooper.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Irina Shayk (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova, born on January 6, 1986, in Yemanzhelinsk, Russia, grew up in a modest home. Her father, Valery Shaykhlislamov, worked in a factory, and her mother was a music teacher. Initially studying music, Irina's path changed when she was discovered as a teenager and began modeling. She moved to Chelyabinsk and eventually to bigger markets to pursue her career.
Shayk gained international fame in 2011 when she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the first Russian model to do so. This major break boosted her profile in the fashion world and led to key advertising campaigns and runway opportunities. She became a brand ambassador for Intimissimi, an Italian lingerie and clothing company, a partnership that lasted several years and kept her prominent in European and American markets.
Throughout her career, Shayk has worked with top fashion designers like Gianni Versace, Burberry, and Kanye West's Yeezy line. She's also been featured on the covers of international editions of Vogue, GQ, and other major magazines. In 2022, Models.com acknowledged her lasting influence by listing her among the New Supers, recognizing models with enduring careers in an often short-lived industry.
In addition to modeling, Shayk has explored acting. She played Megara in the 2014 film Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson, which is her most notable film role so far. Although her acting career has taken a backseat to modeling, the role showed her interest in expanding beyond the runway and editorials.
Shayk has been in two well-known relationships. She dated Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo from around 2010 to 2015. She later dated American actor and director Bradley Cooper, and they have a daughter, Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper, born in March 2017. The couple split in 2019. Shayk remains a prominent celebrity and continues her modeling work into the 2020s.
Before Fame
Irina Shayk grew up in Yemanzhelinsk, a small city in the Ural region of Russia, during the last years of the Soviet Union and the difficult changes of the 1990s. Her family was working-class, and she grew up with her sister Tatiana. After her father died when she was a teenager, her mother took on multiple jobs to support them. Shayk attended the Chelyabinsk College of Culture and Art, where she studied musical theater, showing the kind of educational opportunities available to young women in Russian cities at that time.
She got into modeling after entering a local beauty contest, which led to her being discovered and signed by a modeling agency. She moved to seek opportunities in bigger markets and eventually connected with international agencies that noticed her unique look. The early to mid-2000s was a time when Eastern European and Russian models were in high demand by Western fashion brands and advertisers, and Shayk's entry into modeling coincided with this growing interest in talent from the region.
Key Achievements
- First Russian model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (2011)
- Named to Models.com's New Supers list in 2022
- Long-term brand ambassador for Italian fashion company Intimissimi
- Appeared in the Hollywood film Hercules (2014) as Megara alongside Dwayne Johnson
- Featured on multiple international covers of Vogue and GQ throughout her career
Did You Know?
- 01.Shayk studied musical theater at the Chelyabinsk College of Culture and Art before transitioning to modeling.
- 02.She was the first Russian model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, achieving this in 2011.
- 03.Her daughter with Bradley Cooper, Lea De Seine, was born in March 2017 and her middle name is a nod to the River Seine in Paris.
- 04.She played the mythological character Megara in the 2014 action film Hercules alongside Dwayne Johnson.
- 05.Models.com added her to their New Supers list in 2022, recognizing her continued relevance more than a decade into her international career.