Irina Shayk, AKA Irina Sheik, Is a Russian born beauty that started her life’s journey on January 6th 1986. This breathtaking Super Model is best known for her run with the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue where she graced the pages for six consecutive years “2007-2014 including being the cover girl in 2011.
Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova is a world recognised super model. Her initial launch for her career was in 2007 at the age of 21 when she won an exclusive contracted with Intimissimi lingerie. For reference, Models.com ranks her as No. 8 for her worldwide social media following.
Irina was born in Yemanzhelinsk, USSR, to Volga Tatar Valery Shaykhlislamov, a coal miner and his Russian wife Olga, a kindergarten music teacher. Many people that know the family say she got her looks from her father which is why many fans think she is actually South American.
At age six, Irina started playing piano. For seven years starting at the age of nine, she enrolled in a music school and studied. Her mother also played the piano and sang in the choir so this was a natural progression for her and her mother to have time together. At the age of fourteen, Irina lost her father due to complications with a severe case of pneumonia forcing her mother to have two jobs to make ends meet for the family.
After Irina graduated high school, she started Marketing but dropped out and entered beauty school with her older sister. While she was in beauty school, she was noticed by a local modelling agency who was overwhelmed by her beauty. She was convinced to run in the “Miss Chelyabinsk 2004” beauty contest and was hands down winner from all judges.
In 2007 she won an exclusive contract with Intimissimi Lingerie and Intimates and later in the year had her debut with the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for seven consecutive years making the cover in 2011.
In 2010, Irina became the official ambassador for Intimissimi Lingerie. Her modeling portfolio includes contracts with Beach Bunny Swimwear (2009), and Guess spring/summer 2009. Other work includes the Victoria’s Secret catalog, Lacoste, Cesare Paciotti and Morellato. She has also graced the cover of such magazines as Annabelle, Bolero, Woman, Twelv, Jalouse, and Paris Capital. She signed with modeling agency IMG in May 2009.
Irina Shayk Personal Fact Table
| Full Name | Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova |
| Nick Name | Irina, Irina Sheik |
| Date of Birth | January 06, 1986 |
| Sun Sign | Capricorn |
| Place of Birth | Yemanzhelinsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Multiracial – Mother is Russian / Father was Tatar |
| Resides | New York City USA |
| Profession | Model; actress/ Supermodel |
| Education | Completed high school, enrolled in Marketing but left and went to beauty school where she was discovered. |
| Martial Status | Single |
| Partner Name | N/A |
| Net Worth | $15 million |
In 2010, she modelled the Armani Exchange spring/summer campaign. Also in 2010, she starred in Kanye West’s “Power”. For August 2010 issues of both Ocean Drive and GQ South Africa magazines, she was the cover girl. Complex magazine also ranked her first in the “50 Hottest Russian Women”.
In November 2010 she made a change from swimwear to high fashion with a spread release in Spain’s Harper’s Bazaar and landed the cover of Elle Spain for their November 2010 issue.
Later, Glamour Spain awarded her “Best International Model of 2010”. At the end of 2010 year she was pictured nude in the GQ Spain December issue; A special note, to this day, Irina says she was not nude and that digital experts altered the pictures removing her lingerie.
David Letterman invited Irina to his late night show that aired on February 14th 2011. On that show it was revealed that she was going to be the cover model for the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This would have been the fifth time in a row she had been featured in the magazine but the first time she was on the cover. Notably she is the first Russian to appear on the cover.
In 2011, she became the face model for the swim label Luli Fama’s advertizing campaign and look book. In addition she also appears in the John John Denim ad campaign. Further in 2011, Irina also covered a number of elite magazines including Twelv, GQ Mexico, Amica Italy, Cosmopolitan Spain, Tatler Russia, Glamour Spain and finally appeared on the cover of the Christmas Special Edition issue of Elle Spain.
Plus she represented a number of other brands like Replay, XTI and Rampage. Finally to finish the year, the Hungarian magazine Periodika voted her the Sexiest Woman In The World.
Irina Shayk Measurements / Statistics
| Statistic | Measurement |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in or 178 cm |
| Weight | 121 pounds / 55 kg |
| Body Type | Slim |
| Body Measurements | 35-23-35 in / 89-58.5-89 cm |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Bra Size | 32B |
| Cup Size | B |
| Shoe Size | 7 (US) or 37.5 (EU) or 4.5 (UK) |
| Dress Size | 4 (US) or 36 (EU) or 8 (UK) |
| Distinctive Features | Slim, chiseled Physique |
In 2014, Irina Shayk made her acting debut alongside Dwayne Johnson as Megara in the movie Hercules.
Irian is also not just a pretty face, her overwhelming beauty is only exceeded by her kind heart helping rebuild a maternity hospital in her hometown of Yemanzhelinsk. Irina and her sister helped with the rebuild for the children’s ward at the local hospital and raise money on behalf of the Russian Charity Pomogi, which provides exceptional care to sick children.
Irina Shayk Social Media Presence
| Social Media Platform | Profile Address | Followers |
| https://www.instagram.com/irinashayk/?hl=en | 13.7 M Followers | |
| https://www.facebook.com/IrinaShayk/ | 7,338,056 Followers | |
| https://twitter.com/theirishayk | 660.1 K Followers |
Irina Shayk Favorite Things
| Food | Pelmeni , Japanese food |
| Book | Crime and Punishment |
| Writers | Haruki Murakami, Fyodor Dostoevsky |
| Music | Classical, R&B, Hip Hop |
| Movie | The Game, Match Point |
Irina Shayk Modeling Agencies
| Brown Talent PR |
| Joy Model Management – Sao Paulo |
| Elite Model Management – Israel |
| Elite Model Management – Barcelona |
| D Models – Athens |
| IMG Models – Paris |
| Elite Model Management – Los Angeles |
| Grace Models |
| Modelwerk |
| Women Management – New York |
| Women Management – Milan |
| Modelwerk |
| 1st Option Model Management |
| Grace Models |
| 3D Model Agency – Cape Town |
| Elite Model Management – Stockholm |
Irina Shayk Diet
Irina is a down home girl who loves her traditional Russian food. She loves homemade pancakes and meatballs. Her favorite off all is pelmeni (Russian dumplings) that her grandmother made for her growing up.
When not in Russia, she loves a huge burger with cheese, French fries, lots of ketchup and mayo and a large Sprite.
OK lets be honest here she knows this is not the healthiest of diets so she does clean up her eating habits and exercises regularly.
When Irina is minding her diet her favourite meals for lunch include soups and salads and for dinner, steamed fish, grilled vegetables. One more thing, when she is eating properly, she prefers to avoid restaurants and cook at home. She does in fact have a drink every once and a while, which is normally champagne but also drinks vast amounts of water to keep her skin and hair healthy.
Irina is one of those lucky people that has a very fast metabolism, which means on occasion she can eat just about anything without gaining a pound.
With all this said mind you she works out regularly.
Irina Shayk Workout Routine
Irina again has a very fast metabolism so her body stays quite lean at the best of times. This allows her to not necessarily include a great deal of cardio as she does not want to lose too much weight. This is a good thing as she hates running.
With this said however she does include activities that she enjoys that will rasie her heart rate
One of Irina’s loves is jiu-jitsu. She has a personal trainer and they work out a minimum of 4 times a week. She says as much as her body is exhausted after each session, she loves the challenge.
When it comes to cardio, as much as we mentioned earlier that she hates running, she also loves boxing. Boxing is a great way to get your cardio workout without running so to speak. Boxing is a great way to tone your arms, torso and legs without the endless joint stress that running does.
Finally Irina is a member of the Rise Movement Studio in LA, where she does her floor exercises and weight training.
