Stars From the “queen of the catwalk” to the housewife: where did the first Russian supermodel Natalya Semanova go?

As often happens, Seman’s career began by accident. A friend persuaded her to go to the Vyacheslav Zaitsev Model House in Moscow for a casting. The girls were 13 years old. The master immediately noticed Natalya among the others, although he criticized her figure – then Natalya was a little chubby. But Zaitsev was simply fascinated by the girl’s appearance.

Her first appearance on the catwalk could not be called a success: Semanová got a dress made of small mirrors. The heavy clothes pressed on her shoulders and the glass scratched her skin until she bled. Additionally, all but one of the back buckles came undone on the catwalk, and Natalya could only silently pray for that last hook to hold. Outwardly, however, she maintained an enviable calm – not a single muscle twitched, nothing disturbed the rhythm of her graceful passage. Everyone was also impressed by the stamina and character of the model.

At the age of 14, she won Seman’s prestigious “Look of the Year” modeling competition. As the winner, she was supposed to participate in the Dior show, but according to the laws of the time, such a young model was not allowed to attend the show. As a result, Gianfranco Ferre, the creative director of the brand at the time, invited Natalia as a guest and gave her one of the best seats in the front row next to VIP guests such as Sophia Loren. Everyone was captivated by the quiet and slightly melancholic, but so beautiful Russian – all that was left to do was wait until Natalia was 16 years old and could work full time.

On her 16th birthday in October 1995, Semanová went to New York. Adapting to a new life was not easy. When Natalya found herself abroad alone, her family missed her very much – every day she called her mother and cried. She comforted and encouraged her daughter as best she could, “If you’ve already left, hang on and fight.”

And Natalya struggled: with her shyness, insecurity and simply feeling shy in front of the big names of the fashion world. At one of the first shows at Christian Lacroix, Semanova got tangled in her dress and fell. Not only is this a terribly embarrassing moment for an aspiring model, but it’s also a serious mistake that could cost you your career. Natalya was already expecting the worst, but everything turned out well – the designer himself went on stage to support the debutante, and then called her to the next show without casting.

Semanova learned quickly – soon she turned from a clumsy and inexperienced model into a wonder who was called on the stage nothing but “the Russian queen”, and Semanova’s graceful walk became the standard.

The model was incredibly in demand and received the best orders: she starred for Vogue, was the face of the Opium fragrance from Yves Saint Laurent and the Giorgio Armani brand.

Seman’s career went up, but in 2003 she significantly reduced her participation in exhibitions and then stopped appearing in public altogether. Semanová ended her active modeling career at the age of 25. Many associated it with changes in the model’s personal life. In 2010, Semanova briefly returned, she participated in the John Galliano show, but she no longer made the same impression – over the years, Semanova simply changed, and her face no longer had the refined aristocracy for which the Russian model was loved in the West. .

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Although Semanová was one of the first beauties of the fashion world, her personal life did not work for a long time. In Paris, Natalya began dating a man who tormented her with endless jealousy and annoyance – in general, as one would say now, it was an abusive relationship.

In 2000, Natalia met the Frenchman Alexandre (Dado) Bentolila, who worked at the Elite Model Look agency. Not without a “cupid” in the person of Semanová’s friend, who brought the couple together.

In February 2001, the lovers had a wedding, the guests of which were top figures of the fashion world, including designers John Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier, with whom Natalya worked and were friends. He even made her a wedding dress.

Since then, Semanová has devoted herself to family life. She and Alexander had two children: daughter Chiara and son Paul. 13-year-old Chiara is already leaning towards a career as a model. Her heritage is enviable, as not only her mother was a model, but also her paternal grandmother. Alexander’s mother, Susie Lindberg, was also a model at one time.

Semanová, who will soon be 44 years old, leads a measured life, travels a lot, lives in a luxurious estate and does not seem to seek publicity at all – she does not even maintain personal social networks.

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