Supermodel Anja Rubik 27 was born in Poland. However her family travelled from Greece to Canada and then on to South Africa so she’s really a international chick. Her mother, father and sister returned to Poland but she went to a British high school in Paris. While still at high school a modelling agency approached her in Paris but she wanted to finish school before going full-time.
She’s had an impressive modelling career. She’s been a cover-girl on the French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and German Vogue, Nylon, V and Elle. Done editorial work for Numéro, i-D, W Magazine, V Magazine and Harpers Bazaar. She’s modelled for Givenchy, Chloé, Christian Dior, Hermès, Valentino, Gucci, H&M, Gap, Fendi, Missoni, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren. She also appeared in the 2009 & 2010 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. How do you like that for prolific?
She once turned down a dream opportunity to be photographed by Terry Richardson for the Pirelli Calendar. Although she’s not shy of nudity she just felt that this particular shoot would be too ‘edgy’ for her. The shoot was to star lots of naked girls with other girls and she didn’t feel comfortable with that kind of action. However Rubik does featured nude in the 2011 Pirelli Calendar photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. Not everyone thinks of Lagerfeld as the man with the camera. I guess there’s no end to some peoples talent.
Interestingly Rubik said she started to feel more feminine when she cut her hair. As she got older she became more comfortable with her body and started to fell good about doing nude shoots.
Although the modest beauty has only done nudes from the side and always leaves on strings which the photographers photo-shop out afterward! She offers other models the advice, only say yes to posing nude if you feel comfortable!
Modelling is a combination of natural talent, hard work and luck – being in the right place at the right time, your Polaroid landing on the right desk, creating the right stir in the eyes of the person with power. And in the fashion industry the people with booking power are the casting directors.
Angus Munro is the casting director who fell for Anja Rubik and she quickly became his muse. He was the casting director for British international fashion photographer David Sims. During Munro’s time working for David Sims he gave Rubik editorial spreads in major glossies that helped her on her road to stardom.
Munro’s career was further developed when Katie Grand, the coolest freelance stylist in Britain booked him to cast models for Louis Vuitton. Since then he’s casted for big shows such as Luella Bartley, Matthew Williamson, and Preen. (Katie Grand has a client list that includes Miu Miu, Prada, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton’s men’s and womenswear. She’s also the editor of Pop, a biannual fashion magazine, that makes me wet and fuzzy and is ‘so hip it makes Anna Wintour tremble’!)
When Munro came across Rubik she was already a successful model but she wasn’t considered super cool she was considered to have more of a commercial look. He said “I have always thought she had the real star quality that only true supermodels possess. I used her for everything I did and I would like to think that my belief and loyalty to her has had a distinct impact on her dizzying rise to the top.”
He’s not the only casting agent who loves her, in 2008 casting agent James Scully, who picks models to score a spot on top runways says that Rubik has, “The total package: perfect skin, amazing walk and the only model I can think of that never requires alterations at fittings. And she speaks with a slight lisp, which makes me melt. Most models would have ruined their careers by cutting off their hair, but it seems to have catapulted her to superstar ranks.”
Vogue Paris selected her as one of the top 30 models of the 2000s. She is currently ranked equal 3rd, behind Freja Beha Erichsen, on the Top 50 Models Women List. She’s a top earner too, she’s 23rd on the Top 25 Money Girls List, which ranks the highest earning high fashion models in the industry by models.com.
Rubik and her longtime boyfriend, model Sasha Knezevic got engaged just before Christmas 2010 in Vienna. He proposed to her with a gold, Solitaire, Cartier ring after they went out to watch the opera Dance of the Vampires. They are expecting to have the wedding in May or June this year. This will be the summer of wedding dresses between The Royal Wedding, Kate Moss, Anja Rubik and Laura Regan.
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Defo not her on the last pic!