Russian models from aristocratic families who conquered Paris

It is well known that our models are highly valued all over the world. Strange as it may sound, but the fashion for Russian girls in the modeling business appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. After the revolution, many brilliant beauties of the upper world of Russia turned out to emigrate, who quickly conquered Europe with their royal beauty, amazing beauty and impeccable manners.

After the events of 1917, most of the aristocratic families of the Russian Empire chose Paris as their new place of residence. Russian princesses and baronesses who found themselves far from their homeland, cut off from their usual environment and without means of livelihood were forced to turn their eyes to the modeling business.

For Parisian couturiers, they became real finds, as they looked flawless and knew several languages. The latter was especially appreciated in the fashion industry, since in the first half of the 20th century, it was customary to describe clothing models verbally during shows. Russian aristocrats, as a rule, spoke fluently, in addition to their native language, also in English, French and German. The first Russian supermodels of the 20th century were noblewomen, about whom we will tell you now.

Today, at 30, many models are already leaving the podium, and Lyudmila Fedoseeva at this age has just become the highest paid Russian model. Her family emigrated to France when Lyudmila was still a child, and the heyday of her career came during the years of the German occupation.

The first to see the beauty and talent of the Russian aristocrat was the German photographer Horst P. Horst, who, after working with Fedoseeva, recommended the girl to the American publisher of fashion magazines Conde Nastya.

Meticulous and capricious Nast at first did not see anything special in Russian, but soon fell under the influence of her hour and began to actively involve in his projects. Lyudmila Fedoseeva starred for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, turning into a true legend and a standard of beauty for fashion models around the world in a few years.

Unfortunately, the model's career was short-lived. After the liberation of Paris, Fedoseeva moved to Argentina, and when she returned to France, she realized that her former glory had disappeared. In the 50s, the world star of the modeling business worked for an airline as a clerk, and then as a nurse in a nursing home for Russian emigrants.

Spouses Elizabeth and Sergey Beloselsky-Belozersky quickly found themselves after moving to Paris. In the circle of emigrants, they were known as educated and decent people, so they organically joined the emigrant environment. The prince got a good position in one of the Parisian banks, and Elizabeth began her modeling career at Chantal, a famous fashion house.

To work on the catwalk, the princess took the pseudonym Lisa Grabbe, under which thousands of high fashion fans in Europe and overseas knew her. Having started her career at Chantal, the Russian aristocrat moved to the Molyneux fashion house, where fate brought her together with another emigrant photographer Baron Georgy Goiningen-Gune. Lisa Grabbe has formed a productive creative duo with this master of photography for many years.

Ekaterina Nikolaevna Bonnet was the goddaughter of Emperor Nicholas II. Even as a child, Katya dreamed of working in the fashion world and drew sketches of dresses and hats. It was emigration that "helped" a girl from an aristocratic family to start working in this industry, however, first as a model.

After fleeing to France, Catherine's family was in dire need of money and the 17-year-old girl decided to get a job in a fashion house. She was confused by the prospect of working on the podium and in front of the camera — a hereditary noblewoman considered this case not very worthy. Catherine's family was also against it, but in the fashion world they paid well and the girl's earnings became a good help to the family budget.

Fame came to Ekaterina after meeting the owner of the Lanvin atelier, Jeanne Lanvin. An experienced shark of the modeling business immediately saw a huge potential in the shy Russian beauty. The girl worked with Lanven for more than seven years, after which she opened her own fashion house Katrin Parel.

Thea created clothes not only for sale, but also for cinema. The costumes for the film "Pastoral Symphony", which was released on the big screens in 1946, brought special fame to her fashion house. The film even won one of the awards of the Cannes Film Festival.

Maria Prokofievna Eristova-Shervashidze was born in Georgia, in Tbilisi, but almost immediately after her birth, the family moved to Saint-Petersburg. Maria's father, Prokofy Shervarshidze, was a State Duma deputy, and her mother served at the court as a maid of honor to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

The beauty of the young Maria Eristova was so amazing that even Emperor Nicholas II once told her — "It's a sin, Princess, to be so beautiful." The girl shone in high society, causing envy and admiration, until the October revolution intervened in her fate.

In the first days of the revolution, the Eristov family left for their homeland, Georgia, but when the riots began and Caucasus, moved to Paris. Maria Eristova and her husband did not need selling family jewels for a while, but soon they had to look for other income items.

Eristova found a job in the fashion world thanks to Prince Dmitry Pavlovich, whom Maria knew back in Of Russia. He was on friendly terms with Coco Chanel, who willingly hired Russian girls. Maria was perfect as a model, as her type was simply created to demonstrate Chanel-style clothing of the early 1920s.

Daughter of Prince Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov, granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II and cousin of Nicholas II Natalia Pavlovna Paley miraculously escaped the unenviable fate of thousands of aristocrats who were shot in the first months after the revolution. She and her family managed to escape to Sweden, and from there move to Paris, beloved by emigrants.

In the fashion capital of the world, Natalie suddenly decided to become a fashion model, terrifying her family. For a person in whose veins flowed a significant part of the Romanov blood, it was a shame, but after some thought, the girl's mother allowed her to "destroy her life."

Having started working in the fashion industry, Natalie Paley met Coco Chanel, and she, in turn, introduced a young and promising Russian model to couturier Lucien Lelong. The master was fascinated by the aristocrat and made her not only his main muse, but also his lawful wife.

The beauty of Natalie Paley was admired by many famous personalities of the first half of the 20th century, including Edward Steichen and Cecil Beaton, writers Jean Cocteau, Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Erich Maria Remarque. After becoming a famous model, Paley turned her eyes to big movies and starred in several films, where her partners in the frame were Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.