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Interview with Irina Shayk: “Fashion is recognizing imperfection as the real beauty”
In 2020, Numéro met Russian model Irina Shayk, a guest at the Intimissimi show. The muse of the Italian label was everywhere during Fashion Week.
By Léa Zetlaoui.
Published on 2 September 2020. Updated on 2 July 2026.
Interview with fashion model Irina Shayk
Numéro: The Spring/Summer 2020 Fashion Weeks were very busy for you. What were your best memories from that season?
Irina Shayk: A big moment for me was the Burberry “Evolution” show. I think we all experience evolution in our lives, so that makes this one close to my heart.
Things have changed a lot for women over the past two years. Have you noticed any evolution in fashion as well?
Definitely! Changes in fashion make me very happy, because you can see the brands no longer using just beautiful faces, but something beyond that. It’s all about personalities and charisma. For example, we’ve seen all the models from the 1990s, like Naomi and Christy, coming back into the spotlight. Now it’s all about confident, beautiful and powerful women. I really think that over the past few years, fashion has been celebrating diversity and differences. It’s no longer simply about pretty size 0 models on the covers of magazines and on the catwalk. Today, it’s all about different shapes. To me, fashion is recognizing imperfection as the real beauty.
How do you feel being the new face of Intimissimi?
It was Intimissimi that discovered me in Moscow more than 18 years ago. I became the face of the brand, then an ambassador. Now they are like a family to me. Thanks to them, I’ve learned so much about confidence, about my body and about modeling for a lingerie brand. Being the face of a label for more than 10 years feels fantastic!
What is it like to attend a show and not walk the catwalk?
It feels great, because when I walk for a show, I don’t really get to see the whole collection and performances. It’s exciting because the show is like a Cabaret, and it’s going to be full of surprises.
You were born in Russia. Does that still impact your way of life ?
Everything is Russian in my life. I speak Russian to my daughter, I eat Russian food, I have Russian friends and I still watch Russian TV. I even celebrate the New Year and Christmas. You can take the girl out of Russia, but you can’t take Russia out of the girl!
