FA: Irina Shayk

Irina Shayk (born Irina Shaykhlislamova) is a Russian model known for her 2007 through 2013 appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was the cover model for the 2011 issue.

Irina was born on January 6, 1986 in Yemanzhelinsk, Russia, to ethnic Tatar father and Russian mother. She says she inherited her unusual looks from her father and she has said that people often think she is South American. “My father was dark skinned, because he was Tatar, sometimes Tatars can look Brazilian,” she says. “I get my light eyes from my mother.” Shayk’s mother Natalia was a pianist who was the music teacher in a kindergarten and her father was a coal miner. She has one sibling, an older sister named Tatiana. Shayk started playing piano at age six. At age nine she enrolled in a music school and studied there for seven years, both playing the piano and singing in the choir since her mother wanted her to study music. Her father died of complications of pneumonia when she was 14, leaving her family with little money and forcing her mother to work two jobs to provide for the family.

Irina Shayk studied marketing after high school, but she was bored by it and entered a local beauty school with her older sister. While there, she was noticed by a person from a local modeling agency who was struck by her unusual beauty. She was urged to participate in the "Miss Chelyabinsk 2004" beauty contest and she won.

In 2007 Irina replaced Ana Beatriz Barros as the face of Intimissimi and in the same year debuted in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Since that time, she has appeared in every annual edition, attending photoshoots in such places as St. Petersburg, Naples, Grenada and Chile. After being the image of Intimissimi for three years, Shayk was made the official ambassador for the brand in 2010.

Her other modeling contracts include Beach Bunny (2009), and Guess spring/summer 2009. Other work include the Victoria's Secret catalog, Lacoste, Cesare Paciotti and Morellato. Her magazine covers include Annabelle, Bolero, Woman, Jalouse, and Paris Capital.

She signed with modeling agency IMG on May 2009

Shayk modeled the Armani Exchange spring/summer 2010 campaign. She also starred in Kanye West's “Power”, directed by artist Marco Brambilla. She was on the cover of Ocean Drive and GQ South Africa for the August issue. She ranked first in the "50 Hottest Russian Women" list by Complex magazine.

She made a change from swimwear to high fashion with a spread in Spain's Harper’s Bazaar and landed the cover of Elle Spain for their November 2010 issue. Glamour Spain awarded her "Best International Model of 2010".(Spanish: Mejor Modelo Internacional). At the end of the year she was pictured nude in the GQ Spain December issue; however, she claimed that she had not stripped for the photoshoot, and that the magazine had digitally altered the images to remove her lingerie.

On the February 14, 2011 episode of the Late Show with David Letterman, it was revealed via billboard that Shayk was the covermodel for the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This is the fifth time she has been featured in the magazine, but the first time she has been on the cover. She is the first Russian to appear on the cover. Shayk became the face of swim label Luli Fama’s 2011 advertising campaign and look book. Appears in the John John Denim ad campaign. In 2011 she covered magazines such as Tatler Russia, Cosmopolitan Spain, GQ Mexico Glamour Spain, Amica Italy and appeared on the covered of Elle Spain the special edition for Christmas. She also worked for many brands like Rampage, replacing Bar Refaeli, Replay and XTI. She currently ranks 13th in the "Top 20 Sexiest Models" list on Models.com.

In 2011 she was voted "Sexiest Woman In The World" in the Hungarian magazine Periodika.

In 2012 she covered Esquire UK, Harper's Bazaar Arabia and Ukraine, Marie Claire Ukraine,Spain and Russia, GQ Germany, Glamour Russia and appeared on 14 Cosmopolitan spring covers worldwide. She also covered S Moda Spain and The Sunday Time Style UK. She also did an editorial for Vanity fair Italy The same year, she has appeared in campaigns for Morellato, Agua Bendita and Blanco. Irina is also the new face of the brand La Clover and of Avon super drama mascara. In September 2012 she covered L'express Styles magazine, and worked with Mariano Vivanco. In november, Irina covered Twelv Magazine, Second Issue with supermodel Anne V In the same month she appeared in an editorial for Vogue Spain December issue working with Mario Testino.

In February 2013 she covered VS Magazine with Anne V and the same month she did an editorial for CR Fashion book issue 2 photographed by Bruce Weber and styled by Carine Roitfeld. The same month she did the runway of Jeremy Scott during the New York fashion week. In March 2013 she did the runway of Givenchy during the Paris fashion week.

Irina is helping a maternity hospital in her hometown of Yemanzhelinsk. She and her sister helped rebuild the children’s ward of the local hospital, and now Shayk raises money on behalf of a Russian charity, Pomogi, meaning "Help" in Russian, which provides care to sick children. Shayk is the official ambassador for Pomogi charity in Russia.

Irina has a pet dog named Caesare, after Julius Caesar, a Lab which, she claims, was fathered by one of the dogs who played the title role in the film Marley & Me.