Dear readers of Sportandbeauty. In the fashion world we’re used to talking about drop-dead gorgeous models. It’s not the case today (at least for my likes). Today’s article is dedicated to the Romanian-born Canadian model Irina Lazareanu. We can’t say Irina is extremely pretty and charming. Moreover, I think she looks like a hippie rather than like a professional model. Is this the reason why she was so closely befriended with Pete Doherty and Kate Moss? It’s been always said that birds of a feather flock together.... In spite of that, Irina Lazareanu has walked for many of the best fashion designers such as Chanel, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Shiatzy Chen, Anna Sui, Lanvin and Versace and reached the status of muse of some others like Nicolas Ghesquière and Karl Lagerfeld. Ok, let’s get going.
Irina Lazareanu was born on June 8, 1982 in the Romanian Region of Transylvania. When she was only fifteen, her family moved to Canada and settled in Montreal’s Saint-Hubert neighborhood in the area of Quebec. In 1995 Irina moved to London to study ballet at the Royal Academy of Arts. However, her career as a ballerina came to an abrupt end due to a knee injury. At the age of fifteen, and while studying ballet in London, Irina met musician Pete Doherty at a party in Shepherd’s Bush becoming his muse and lover. For sure this Doherty will ring the bell as he later became Kate Moss’ boyfriend.
In 1999 Irina entered a casting process and signed a contract with Montreal’s Giovanni model agency in order to make some money to pay her rent. However, during the first years of her career she was almost completely focused on music. Irina and Pete got along well and she get actively involved in Doherty’s band (the Babyshambles) traveling in the Shamblemobile during Babyshambles’ 2004 tour. The rumor was spread that she had performed as a drummer for the band but it seems that it wasn’t true. Anyway the worked in close cooperation and Irina helped Doherty to write the song "La Belle et la Bête" which was included in the album “Down in Albion” and whose video clip featured Kate Moss. Here you are Irina’s data and measurements:
- Full name: Irina Lăzăreanu
- Birth date: June 8, 1982 in the Romanian Region of Transylvania
- Height: 176 centímetres: 5'9.5"
- Measurements: 81-63.5–89 (EU) : 32-25-35 (US)
- Hair color: brown
- Eye color: brown
- Dress size: (EU) 34: (US) 4
- Shoe size: (EU) 37: (US) 7
- Agencies: Giovanni Model Management Montreal, Storm Models London, Marilyn Agency Paris and New York, Why Not Model Agency Milan, UNO Barcelona
- Birth date: June 8, 1982 in the Romanian Region of Transylvania
- Height: 176 centímetres: 5'9.5"
- Measurements: 81-63.5–89 (EU) : 32-25-35 (US)
- Hair color: brown
- Eye color: brown
- Dress size: (EU) 34: (US) 4
- Shoe size: (EU) 37: (US) 7
- Agencies: Giovanni Model Management Montreal, Storm Models London, Marilyn Agency Paris and New York, Why Not Model Agency Milan, UNO Barcelona
It was her friendship with Kate Moss that launched Irina stardom when she was personally chosen by Kate to land the pages of “Vogue” Paris and, later in 2007, to become the image of Kate’s successful clothing line Topshop. Since then, Irina popularity rose exponentially breaking the record of runway shows in a season. In July 2004 Irina opened Anne Valerie Hash’s FW couture show in Paris and walked also for Chanel. In 2005 she wrote the music for the movie “The Passenger” directed by her former boyfriend Francois Rotger and started to work together with Sean Lennon in a folk music album titled “Some Place Along the Way”. In addition, she was chosen by Kate Moss to star in “Extravagance de plumes”, an editorial for “Vogue” France.
In January 2006 Irina landed the cover of “Vogue” Italy and opened Anne Valerie Hash’s SS couture show in Paris. In February she closed Marc Jacobs’ FW show in New York and walked in Paris and Milan for Prada, Christian Lacroix, Miu Miu, and Yves Saint Laurent. In March and May she appeared in editorials for “Vogue” Italy and “Numéro”. In July Irina opened and closed Chanel’s FW couture show in Paris and gets her video clip “Strange Places” released by Fashion TV. In September she was considered by Fashion TV as the new fashion it-girl and walked in Milan and Paris for Burberry, Marni, Fendi, Alexander McQueen, and Dries van Noten’s SS shows. Finally, in October she appeared in editorials for “Vogue” Italy and Japan and “W”.
2007 was also a frantic year for Lazareanu. At the beginning of the year she became the image of Chanel’s Paris-Monte Carlo collection and in February announced that she was to work with Sean Lennon and Pete Doherty to record a version of Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country”. In March the model appeared in editorials for “Harper’s Bazaar” (together with Jessica Stam), “Vogue” Italy (wearing couture dresses), and”L’Uomo Vogue” together with Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono. In April Irina starred in editorials for both “Harper’s Bazar” and “Vogue” Japan and in May she was chosen by Kate Moss to advertise her clothing line “Topshop” mainly composed of tight jeans and trimmed jackets. In the month of July Irina and Pete Doherty were chosen by Roberto Cavalli as the images for Cavalli’s men and women fashion collections. What I don’t understand is why a fashion designer like Cavalli chose Doherty as the image of his collection… Still in July Irina appeared in an editorial for “V” and in September she opened 3.1 Phillip Lim’s 2008 SS show in New York and appeared again on the pages of “Vogue” Italy. Finally, she opened in October John Galliano’s 2008 SS show in Paris.
At the beginning of 2008 Irina starred Saks Fifth Avenue’s ad campaign together with friend Hye Park. In February she opened Y-3’s SS show in New York, closed Anne Valérie Hash’s show in New York and walked also for Akris, Chanel, John Galliano, and Yohji Yamamoto. In June, and again in Paris, Irina walked for Anne Valérie Hash, Christian Dior, and Chanel’s FW shows and in July landed the cover of “MIXTE” and starred Sonia Rykiel’s Fall ad campaign. In October Irina starred and editorial for “Marie Claire” Italy and in December was considered as “model of the month” by “Vogue” Japan. In January 2009 Lazareanu walked for Christian Dior’s SS couture show in Paris. During the following months she appeared in a number of editorials for “Vogue” Japan (March), “Vogue” Italy (May), “Vogue” China (June) y “Vogue” Germany (August). In addition she posed for the Fall issue of “Pop” and landed the cover of the Winter issue of “QVEST”. Finally, and in New York, the Canadian model opened Y-3`s SS show and closed Ruffian and Emanuel Ungaro’s.
It seems that in the last years Irina has slowed down the pace a bit. During 2010 and 2011 she walked in Paris for Anne Valérie Hash’s SS couture show and Charlotte Ronson, Maison Martin Margiela, and Vivienne Westwood’s FW ready-to-wear shows. She also appeared in a number of editorials for “Marie Claire” Italy (May 2010), “Marie Claire” (October 2010), and “W” (November 2010), “Flaunt” (April 2011) and landed the cover of “Flare” alongside Tiiu Kiuk and Arlenis Sosa (January 2011) and “Cover” (February 2011). She also starred ad campaigns for brands such as MAC and Rick Owens (Summer 2011) or Selected (Fall 2011). Already in 2012 Irina walked for Vivienne Westwood Red Label’s SS show and starred ad campaigns for The Kooples.
