It’s no secret that the power of control is rarely within a model’s reach. Between busy schedules, juggling client demands, and still managing to take the reins in one’s own personal image, somehow Irina Shayk defies that norm.

After nearly twenty years of being in the game (and even helping to shape it), the fashion icon joins the ranks of one of the few privileged beauties in supermodeldom to go against the grain of it all. Moving herself away from the bombshell, Sports Illustrated typecast placed upon her in her earlier modeling days, Shayk has expanded beyond that box and into the bubble of high fashion with a stride. Effortlessly going from runway to editorial, transforming frame by frame from sassy to sweet and sultry to strong, Irina possesses the qualities of a true muse: ones that photographer Steven Klein has found in her over the years.

“There are no lines anymore. No more boxes of [being just a] ‘model’ or ‘only this.’ If something brings me joy, if I feel love for it, and if I have a creative partner beside me who inspires me, then I want to explore it. For me, [this story] represents a kind of wild femininity. Creating this woman with Steven opened so many visual windows. It felt like stepping into another world.”
—Irina Shayk

Whether exploring the depths of face tape for Vogue or interpreting classic Italian beauty codes for Dolce&Gabbana Beauty with a twist, the working dynamic between the two forces has been blossoming for quite some time. “I’ve always had a deep admiration for Steven Klein’s work,” explains Shayk. “Those iconic images Steven created, the ones that never leave you. One in particular always stayed with me: a photograph of Riccardo Tisci holding a dog. It was bold, direct, and unapologetic. It pushed boundaries in a way only a true visionary can.” Their latest collaboration? This very editorial for V, with Shayk serving as creative director for the leather-bound visual fête. “Everything we did in this story came from hours of Steven and me talking about her—the character we built together,” explains Shayk. “Who is she? What does she love? How does she move through the world?”

Captured entirely between Irina and Steven’s homes in Long Island, the duo threw on a more cinematic lens to showcase some of spring’s most hardcore looks. The result? A dominant character that exudes the energy living within most women. “For me, she represents a kind of wild femininity. She’s bold. She’s masculine in her own way. She lives in leather. She goes out. She’s in her “yes” era—fearless, unapologetic, fully herself,” she details. Furthering the character more, she adds that “She has an obsession with her father, who loved motorbikes and horses, and that energy shaped her. It’s where she gets her power, her posture, her sense of ground. Creating this woman with Steven opened so many visual windows. It felt like stepping into another world.” 

Between straddling a black Harley Davidson motorcycle in a studded thong to posing alongside one of Klein’s ultimate subjects (a black horse) and even submerging herself in a water-filled tub in a look from Maximilian Davis’ latest collection for Ferragamo, a bit of role play was much needed here to execute their combined vision. “The funny part is I can’t even ride a bike, and horses still intimidate me,” she quips. “My daughter rides [horses] and always tries to convince me to join her. Yet, I’ve always dreamed of standing beside one of Steven’s horses, capturing that iconic image.” 

“Everything we did in this story came from hours of Steven and me talking about her—the character we built together. Who is she? What does she love? How does she move through the world? For me, she represents a kind of wild femininity. She’s bold. She’s masculine in her own way. She lives in leather. She goes out. She’s in her ‘yes’ era—fearless, unapologetic, fully herself.”
—Irina Shayk

While the shoot thrives within the boundary-pushing universe that Klein has mastered, it also marks a defining moment for Irina, who turned forty this January—stepping into a new chapter where her vision commands the frame and her image is fully, unapologetically, her own. “There are no lines anymore. No more boxes of [being just a] ‘model’ or ‘only this’,” she explains. “If something brings me joy, if I feel love for it, and if I have a creative partner beside me who inspires me, then I want to explore it.”

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“Steven [Klein] is one of the few artists today who isn’t just taking pictures—he’s creating art. Real, challenging, emotional art. He’s not afraid to be different, and he’s not afraid to express his vision. He broke—and keeps breaking—a lot of boundaries.”
—Irina Shayk

This story appears in the pages of V158: now available for purchase!

Photography Steven Klein
Fashion Patti Wilson
Editor-in-Chief Stephen Gan
Makeup Jenna Kuchera using Pat McGrath Labs
Hair Sandy Hullett
Model Irina Shayk (The Society)
Steven Klein Studio Manager Chris McCoy
Editor Kev Ponce
Art Director Clément Condat
Photo Assistants Dylan Garcia, Ari Sodak, Rowan Liebrum, Michael Vick
Digital Technician Hunter Sketch
Fashion Assistants Nathan Watson, Joseph Reyes, Karla Lopez
Makeup Assistant Mayuu Vargas
Executive Producer Dana Brockman
Producer Max Bonbrest
Production Din Morris, Saul Luzeus
Equipment Smashbox Studios