Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova is a Russian supermodel, actress, and philanthropist who was born on February 28, 1982. Her story of going from rags to riches has made her one of the most inspiring people in fashion. Vodianova’s meteoric rise earned her the nickname “Supernova.” She went from selling fruit on the streets of Nizhny Novgorod to walking runways for Chanel, Gucci, and Calvin Klein, and her net worth is thought to be over $50 million. In addition to modeling, she started the Naked Heart Foundation, a charity that helps kids with special needs, and has been a strong supporter of disability rights.
Early Life and Simple Start
Vodianova was born in Gorky, which is now Nizhny Novgorod, in the Soviet Union. Her family was working class. After their father left, Natalia and her two half-sisters lived with their mother, Larisa Vodianova. One of her sisters, Oksana, was born with severe cerebral palsy and autism. This had a big impact on Vodianova’s later work as a philanthropist.
To help her family, a teenage Vodianova worked at a fruit stand in a local market, where she often had to stand for hours in the cold Russian winters. A friend told her to sign up for a modeling agency when she was 15. People were skeptical at first because she was only 5’9″ tall (which was short for high fashion at the time), but her striking blue eyes, delicate features, and otherworldly beauty drew attention.
When she was 17, the Viva Model Management agency sent Vodianova to Paris. She didn’t know how to speak French or English, but she quickly learned how the business worked. In 2001, she got her big break when she appeared in a Gucci ad shot by Mario Testino.
Become a Supermodel
In the early 2000s, Vodianova’s career took off. She was the face of the Euphoria perfume for Calvin Klein and starred in ads for Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Stella McCartney. She also became a muse for other designers.
Important events:
In 2002, Yves Saint Laurent ended Paris Fashion Week.
In 2003, she signed a record-breaking seven-figure deal with Calvin Klein. At the time, it was one of the biggest contracts in modeling history.
From 2004 to 2009, she was on the covers of more than 50 magazines, including multiple international editions of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle.
According to Guinness World Records, she made $8.6 million in one year in 2008, making her one of the highest-paid models.
From 2004 to 2007, Vodianova walked in Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows and was part of the brand’s famous “Angels” era. The press gave her the name “Supernova” because she could be both fragile and innocent and sexy and glamorous.
She has also been in movies like CQ (2001) and Belle du Seigneur (2012), but her main focus was still modeling.
Your Personal Life
Vodianova’s private life has been just as public as her work life. She married British aristocrat Justin Portman in 2001, when she was 19. They had three children: Lucas in 2001, Neva in 2006, and Viktor in 2007. After ten years together, the couple got a divorce in 2011.
In 2020, she married Antoine Arnault, a French businessman and the son of LVMH billionaire Bernard Arnault. Maxim was born in 2014 and Roman was born in 2016. The family spends time in both Paris and London.
People say that Vodianova is down-to-earth even though she hangs out with famous people. She has been honest about having postpartum depression, the difficulties of being a mother, and how hard it is to balance work and family.
The Naked Heart Foundation is a charity.
Vodianova started the Naked Heart Foundation in 2004 after the Beslan school siege tragedy in Russia. At first, the charity’s main goal was to build playgrounds in poor areas. Later, it started to help families with disabled children, drawing on her experience with her sister Oksana.
Accomplishments:
Built more than 200 playgrounds that everyone can use in Russia and other countries.
Started the Every Child Deserves a Family program to keep disabled kids from going to institutions.
They raised tens of millions of dollars through famous events like the annual “Love Ball,” which was attended by stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Charlize Theron.
In 2015, Vodianova got a lot of attention in Russia when she was asked to leave a café in Nizhny Novgorod because she was breastfeeding. The event started a national conversation about breastfeeding in public and the rights of people with disabilities.
Legacy and Impact
Vodianova is still involved in fashion and charity work at the age of 43 (in 2025). In 2016, she started Elbi, a digital charity app, and she still does some modeling work. She was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2023.
Documentaries and her 2020 memoir Love Like Water tell the story of how she went from being a street vendor to a runway icon. Vodianova is a symbol of strength because she uses her fame to fight against the stigma that comes with being disabled or poor.
