My mum lived for us. She worked nearly 24 hours a day so I was looking after my baby sister, cooking and cleaning. Someone had to be with her while I was at school so my mother would work at night, take washing home from a factory, and then she would clean floors in my school.
I raised my sister, Oksana, who is brain damaged. I was six when she was born and my stepfather walked out. My mum resisted pressure to give her up to state care. During the day we didn’t have anywhere to go, only deserted buildings and basements. It was hard for me because the other children teased us and didn’t like to have her around. It was very painful and that injustice is still with me.
Because of my childhood where I was constantly by myself, I always feel lonely. I have a lot of people that I absolutely love and I know love me but I can’t get rid of that feeling of loneliness no matter who I’m with – even with my children. I know they’ll eventually have their own lives. I hope to create the type of family life that when my children are older, they’ll come back with their girlfriends, their husbands and their children and hopefully then that feeling of loneliness will go.
It’s very hard to say what my life would be like if I hadn’t left Russia and gone to Paris to try modelling. Before I left Russia in 1999, I was living in a very poor factory town with my family and friends, and nothing was ever going to change. I remember sitting in the corner at the model agency and suddenly everyone was coming up and staring at me. I was confused and thought they were upset that I was there. My mother had a big debt and the debt collectors were doing some horrible things to her. The owner of the agency lent me the money to pay it off before I’d earned it, and it was like a dream.
I suffered a lot when my son was born. I didn’t have my family with me. Justin [Her husband Justin Portman, is a scion of the aristocratic property-owning family who own large swaths of London], like any new dad, didn’t know what to do and the first few weeks of Lucas’s life I was by myself caring for a child, which is really tiring.
It’s important for children to know that other side, when you’re tired or things aren’t OK. If you never know hardship, you can’t really support people around you. My mother always spoke to me about herself. She was so young and I was like her sister. Although there are certain things I wouldn’t say to my children, because they don’t need to know.
When you become a mother, you think less about yourself and care more about the world. I believe in a higher purpose. As a parent, it’s heartbreaking to see other children suffering. I started my charity in 2005, after the Beslan tragedy [the 2004 school siege in which at least 339 hostages were killed]. We built our first one in my hometown of Nizhny Novgorod in 2006. The children absolutely loved it. It’s important they can get lost in play, even for a few minutes.
My children’s lives are so different from my own childhood. All I want for them is to be happy and to be good people, to have something they enjoy doing. It’s hard because they are children who will never need or lack anything. However, I want to give them the tools to make their own way in the world. It think it’s vital to have a purpose and passion in life.
Source: Guardian.co.uk.
There are various beauties, but Natalia is the one in flesh and blood.
In the Ritz Hotel, the Place Vendome, the crystal lamps flickered; outside the French window was a beautiful garden. This scenery set her off, as if she was in the picture. She laughed, pouted, frowned and pressed her forehead and something rippled in her deep blue eyes. When you look at her poster photo or salon photo, whether with mannish appearance or not, certain neutral handsomeness can be naturally found in her. However, when I watched her within 1m, a series of casual actions occurred to her, showing her smartness and charm, so attracting.
She dressed herself uniquely with a brown one-piece pantskirt with retro flowers, short yellow boots and a chammy gown. Due to her height and slimness, she seemed fairly handsome. With a black thin watch around her wrist and a big necklace around her neck, she was so kind. When all people were taking a group photo, her clothes just piled up beside her. She dragged several clothes randomly and threw them nearby, saying “Never mind.”
In terms of good-looking, attitude is more important than appearance. At the news conference, some journalists from Russia asked her questions in Russian; after listening to the questions carefully, she repeated the questions in English: ”Sorry, I think I should speak English so that everyone can understand me.” At that moment, all people had to fall into love with her.
On January 24, 2011, VOGUE.com.cn interviewed Natalia.
Q: As the image representative of Etam, how do you understand this brand?
A: This is a brand knowing about the heart of women. Her sexiness is based on many elements and women are most interested in each of them, colorful, interesting and lovely design and very comfortable texture. I like this feeling. Only when women feel at ease, they can discover their natural sexiness in the depth of their hearts, can’t they?Q: You have endorsed many brands, and what methods do you use to reflect the uniqueness of different brands?
A: Oh, this question is really complicated. Er… what did I say? Before endorsement, I will fully understand the history of the brand and the story it intends to tell people, which is just like an actress reading a play. And then I interpret the brand in my own way.
“We go to new lands,” said Sepp Blatter concluding events in the Messe exhibition hall yesterday.
In front of him the Russian contingent were celebrating, an eclectic mix of Andrey Arshavin, the pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, the super model Natalia Vodianova and a gaggle of men in suits.
Russia had long been seen as the front-runners, despite their bid being largely contained on paper and stunning computer generated images of their proposed stadiums, not least because they were perceived as the first choice of the president of Fifa. And presidents, as any Russian knows, usually gets what he wants. In notable comparison to his British counterpart, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had declined to head for Zurich, “the capital of international football” as Blatter calls it, for the frenetic final days of vote chasing.
In some quarters that was seen as the country’s most powerful man distancing himself from a losing cause, but it turned out to be nothing of the sort. His statement on Wednesday evening attacking those looking to “smear” Fifa was clearly well received by those who mattered in Zurich. Blatter made a clear reference to media attacks on his organisation during yesterday’s proceedings.
Yesterday morning Putin announced that he would fly to Zurich if Russia won — when they did he was reported to be in a meeting with the country’s chief rabbi. By last night he was in Zurich soaking up the glory.
“Russia loves football. Russia knows what football is,” he said. “The decision corresponds with Fifa’s philosophy for developing football, especially in those regions of the world where that development is needed.”
The vote, an overwhelming one too, is something of a gamble.
After South Africa and, especially, Brazil 2014 it will be the third successive tournament in a large country and is a much riskier choice than any of its western European competitors.
The infrastructure needed is huge, but hugely in their favour for Fifa is that the whole project has been assured of government funding. As yesterday’s presentation — a solid effort that was bettered only by England’s — outlined, the government will happily foot a very large bill to pay for the upgraded rail and road links that will join St Petersburg in the north with Sochi on the Black Sea coast nearly 2,000 miles away.
Only two of the 16 stadiums exist, and both the Luzhniki and Dynamo stadiums in Moscow will be redeveloped. The others will be built from scratch and the images in the impressive brochures are spectacular. The final will be held in the Luzhniki in front of 89,000 supporters.
Source: Belfast Telegraph.
In honour of her award for Inspiration of the Year at Harper’s Bazaar’s Women of the Year Awards, Natalia Vodianova adorns their December issue cover.
The Russian supermodel was awarding the gong after having raised money to build children’s playgrounds in Russia and Britain.
And the 29-year-old turned heads in a shimmering gold dress at the event held in London’s Mayfair.
Emma Thompson nabbed the magazine’s Role Model of the Year award for her work as an actress, producer, writer and activist, in which she campaigns for victims of abuse, torture and rape.
While Annie Lennox was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as a singer and an activist, and arrived in a T-shirt saying HIV Positive.
Other winners of the night included Natalie Massenet, who won Innovator of the Year; Sam Taylor-Wood won Renaissance Women of the Year; Zaha Hadid won Visionary of the Year, Manolo Blahnik nabbed Man in A Woman’s Wold; Florence Welch won Breakthrough of the Year; and creative director of Chloe Hannah MacGibbon won Designer of the Year.
International Women of Influence was awarded to Donna Kara, Queen Rania of Jordan, Christiane Amanpour, Sarah Brown and Christy Turlington.
In the December issue of the magazine, Natalia poses as a modern Joan of Arc for the session at the Battersea power station in south London.
Vodianova, who wears vintage threads by the late Alexander McQueen, said: ‘I am a warrior of light.
Joan of Arc is an icon of female strength.’ Her photoshoot, in Harper’s Bazaar, came as she collected the prize for ‘inspiration’ at the magazine’s woman of the year awards last night.
The 28-year-old is also starring in the 1930s thriller Belle de Seigneur.
Read the full interview in Harper’s Bazaar on Thursday.
Source: Metro.co.uk.
She is amongst the best known supermodels in the fashion world, with a personal history reminiscent of a fairy tale.
Natalia Vodianova was born in Gorky, USSR (now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia), into a very poor family. She was noticed by chance and after being chosen in a casting session she appeared on the Paris runways in 2000. She appears in campaigns for Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Mark Jacobs and then became the face of L’Oréal.
In 2003, she signed exclusively with Calvin Klein, appearing in the print campaign and video for the Euphoria fragrance shot by Steven Meisel. Natalia has been photographed by virtually all of world’s most lauded masters, like Mario Testino, Bruce Weber, Mario Sorrenti and Patrick Demarchelier. Part from her breathtaking beauty, Natalia fascinates with a unique kind of mystery that manages to embody both innocence and sophistication, both irony and wistfulness – evoking an Eastern European allure.
Her sensuality was on full display in Paolo Roversi’s campaign for Guerlain’s Shalimar. In 2008 the French maison selected Natalia for her “splendid, ever-changing look in addition to her personality, talent and commitment to good causes.” (Vodianova founded the Naked heart foundation, which builds playgrounds for Russian children, Editor’s note).
What’s your make-up style?
I prefer a natural look, accentuated with just a touch of blusher (e.g. Guerlain’s Terracotta powders) for a healthy, natural look. The perfume world fascinates me.One of your beauty secrets?
I adore spa treatments. Whenever I go back to Russia I seize the chance for a Black Banja Sona, a traditional Siberian treatment. In Paris, I always go to Maison Guerlain for face and body treatments. But to me true relaxation is spending time with my husband and our children.How do you keep fit?
I try to eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. But I believe that beauty is an innate quality, something that’s part of your being.Source: Vogue Italia.
SIR Philip and Lady Green have dropped three places in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List – from sixth in 2009 to ninth – despite an increase in their estimated wealth from £3,830 million to £4,105 million. Green is not fashion’s richest name, however, having been pipped to that title by Galen and George Weston, who own Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Primark.
Other high street labels, including New Look, River Island and Matalan, helped their owners to positions in fashion’s top 10, whilst Jaeger boss Harold Tillman – who has invested in Aquascutum in the past year – improved both on last year’s position and estimated earnings, finishing 189th in the overall list versus last year’s 201st.
While no models made the top 1,000, Kate Moss holds the same her position as last year, at 1,348th, despite seeing her wealth increase by £3 million – and Natalia Vodianova finished 15th in the top earners under 30 with £12 million, beating Cheryl Cole who earned £10 million.
Burberry muse Emma Watson beat them both in the young earners list, however, with £22 million – putting her just inside the under 30′s top 10.
Source: Vogue UK.
Gallery Links
Photoshoots > Set 012
Special thanks to Candy_Lady for translating this interview.
Any philanthropist knows, that people do charity not to help others, but to help themselves. A girl from Nizhnii Novgorod, a supermodel, a wife of an English lord, a mother of three and a happy clubber builds playgrounds in Russia’s province, manages to overcome all bureaucratic difficulties and fight the local officials. Why does she need this? What is Natalia Vodianova afraid of? What does she save herself from?
