We caught up with the brilliant and insightful POLINA YATSUK a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

POLINA, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

In my teenage years, the show “America’s Next Top Model” aired on Russian television, quickly gaining popularity. I remember coming back from school and enthusiastically watching every episode. Back then, I couldn’t imagine that I would one day become a part of that world. I simply watched the show, envisioning myself in the shoes of those girls, but I never seriously considered it. It seemed unattainable to me. Tyra Banks was my idol. Beautiful, intelligent, and wise, she delicately sensed each model and guided them. That’s when I first became interested in the modeling business, and Tyra Banks became my first source of inspiration.

Later, already on the runway, I had the opportunity to meet many famous and talented people, including Natalia Vodianova. She came to Moscow to present her collection as part of Fashion Week, where I also participated. This delicate but strong woman inspired me with her example—fearlessly pursuing goals while preserving her uniqueness. Natalia’s story fascinates me: a girl from a regular family, reaching great heights. It’s worth noting that we both come from Nizhny Novgorod, adding a special meaning to it. I still follow her career and feel inspired by her creativity.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in a small town in Russia, in Nizhny Novgorod. From childhood, I was a creative and active child. I loved dressing up, organizing fashion shows in my mom’s clothes, attending dance classes, and being always involved in some creative activities while my peers spent time outdoors.

When I turned 16, people around me started suggesting that I should consider modeling. At first, I didn’t take it seriously and didn’t see anything special in myself. When a modeling agent noticed me for the first time, I didn’t attach much importance to it. Other agents followed, and only then did I start thinking more seriously about a modeling career.
One day, a friend took me to a casting at a modeling school. Even then, I didn’t believe in my success because we had to walk the runway in heels in front of professional models and the designer Slava Zaitsev. I couldn’t walk in heels and was very unsure of myself, but the agency director saw something special in me for which I am very grateful. In school, we were taught everything: walking in heels, posing, makeup, choosing outfits, and much more. After 3 months, I was invited to participate in a fashion show at Moscow Fashion Week, where more experienced models worked. It was my first show, and I closed it for a famous Dutch designer. I was proud of myself.

After that, there were many successful projects. My works were featured in magazines, and I became the face of a major cosmetics company. Now I work in America, and in just a year, I participated in fashion shows in New York. My face was on billboards for the advertising campaign of Los Angeles Fashion Week. I collaborated with a major jewelry and clothing brand, and this is only a small part of what was accomplished during this time. I believe in myself and my goals, and I know that there is still much more interesting ahead.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The modeling business is a continuous practice and self-improvement. This skill cannot be learned solely from books or videos. While there is a lot of useful information on the internet, it is useless without practical experience. My personal experience shows that the most effective approaches are modeling schools or coaching. Yes, not everyone may share my opinion. Some may consider modeling schools as a mere waste of money and time, but I find it hard to agree with that. As I mentioned earlier, for me, a modeling school became a real engine in this mechanism. Perhaps I would never have achieved such success if someone hadn’t shown and explained to me how everything works. Of course, much comes with practice, but the “foundation” remains with you forever.

It is important to note that choosing a modeling school requires a thoughtful approach. It’s easy to fall into the hands of scammers. Examine the history of those who were trained in this school and what results they achieved, and only then start taking action. Modeling schools provide access to experts who share their unique experience. They teach posing, and help develop your own technique and style. While you can go this path independently, it is more effective with professionals. It’s similar to sports training: you can go to the gym, sometimes even use machines, and watch workout videos. But it’s incomparable to individual training where a coach helps you, taking into account your specific features and goals in sports. The same goes for modeling schools. Even if you’ve studied all the YouTube videos or completed an online course with a single theory, you probably don’t understand how this business works in practice. Schools shape this understanding and help eliminate illusory beliefs.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The most effective tool remains a good agency that sees your potential and is involved in your development, along with word of mouth. For models, communicative skills are especially important because a model “promotes” themselves not only with their appearance but also with charisma. Thus, the broader your circle of communication, the more opportunities open up for you.

A good channel for attracting clients is social media. Therefore, it is also crucial for models to develop their personal brand and social life. The same rules apply here as for other influencers: it is necessary to regularly update your pages and share both professional and personal content. This is how the perception of your personality is formed.

Contact Info:

• Website: polinayatsuk.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polina_yatsuk/
• Other: https://www.emgmodels.com/lost-angeles/women/la-w-main/polina-yatsuk/portfolio/la-w-main

Image Credits
@zaart.photo