In the 2000s, the modeling business was ruled by girls from Russia: Natalia Vodianova, Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Evgenia Volodina and other Russian women were the faces of big brands and replaced the supermodels of the 90s. But where did it all start? Who paved the way for future Russian stars? The first truly successful model from the former USSR was Ludmila Isaeva, who became the protagonist of advertising campaigns, catwalks and covers back in the late 80s.
Lyudmila began her great career in fashion back in 1989, having moved from Moscow to Paris. The Russian beauty with an aristocratic face and high cheekbones was instantly noticed: in the very first season, she signed a contract with her first modeling agency and began to conquer the catwalks. But real success began for her with a move to New York and a contract with Elite Model Management in 1991. It was at this time in her life that there were advertising contracts with the Bergdorf Goodman department store and the brands Christian Dior, Guerlain, Guy Laroche, Escada, Laurèl, MaxMara, Perry Ellis, Shiseido, Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent, shooting for dozens of magazines (including, of course, The Symbol) and participation in key fashion weeks.
For a girl from the USSR, everything that happened was a dream come true. Her face was seen from magazine pages and advertising billboards around the world. By and large, it is she who opens the way for other Russian girls to the heights of modeling: without her, there would be neither Natalia Vodianova, nor Sasha Pivovarova, nor all other superstar models from Russia. Isaeva became a pioneer and the first Russian model on the covers of all the big gloss. True, her career was short-lived. But it was her personal choice. In 1995, the supermodel married hockey player Vladimir Malakhov and decided to focus on her family. Today she lives in Miami with her husband and two children, but archival photos still remind of her former glory.
They had a private wedding in New York, which was attended by two guests – their witnesses. “I do not like partying, loud parties. In this my wife and I are similar”