When Kristina Pimenova landed her first lucrative modelling contract, opinion was split across social media – but she’s since worked for Vogue, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana
A model who as a child was dubbed the “world’s most beautiful girl” has overcome her family’s critics to work for major fashion brands.
Kristina Pimenova, who is also on the verge of becoming a professional actress, has been part of campaigns for the likes of Vogue, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. However, the young Russian woman remains humble, writing on her Instagram bio, “beauty is inside”.
The motto contrasts with her early praise, garnered after posing as a child model from the age of three. Her mum Glikeriya, though, was panned for posting provocative pictures of her during her childhood. She denied accusations she was “sexualising” her daughter.
But now, aged 19, Kristina feels she has become stronger for the controversy. She said it gave her the determination to “be anything I want for a while”.
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The young woman is making waves in the industry, having also posed for Burberry and Monnalisa. She is also impressing with her acting skills following a recent role on stage in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment in Russia.
Speaking in a recent interview in her nation, Kristina said: “Modelling happened naturally for me when I was younger, I was just like, ‘let’s try this’, I didn’t even know what it was. I was just playing around; it was like a game. For me, it was a big part of my childhood. It turned into making friends travelling, so it was just really natural.”
Kristina, who has listed the Harry Potter franchise among her favourite films, has more than two million followers on Instagram. She receives a great deal of messages of support and praise here, contrasting her mum’s battle with criticism when Kristina was a child.
In response to the backlash in 2014, Glikeriya said: “I do not accept those accusations about the sexualisation of my child. I am certain in my mind all her photographs are absolutely innocent. I have never asked her to take this or that pose, and in fact I must say she does not especially like it when I am photographing her, so I do it quickly and when she doesn’t notice. You must think like a paedophile in order to see something sexual in these pictures, so it is time for you to see a doctor.”
Glikeriya, herself a former model, insisted at the time all of her daughter’s “poses” were natural, even in photographs taken at a beach. The mum continued: “She is just a little girl who is attracting a lot of attention and unfortunately some of this attention is coming from strange people with huge personal problems, keen to throw dirt at anyone.”
