From the look book I helped Style seasons back
The first time I met Irina was the second day of class Sr. year. She told me she missed the first day due to an emergency dental appointment. She lied,she forgot school started (typical). She had just returned from a summer long vacation in Italy gathering inspiration for her senior thesis. Then she was chatting it up with the orthodox Jewish girl in class all about Judaism. This lead me to believe she was orthodox (one sexy over exposed see through clothing wearing Jew)??? Wrong I was of course. Anyhow she opened up her portfolio to the most amazing illustrations I'd ever laid my eyes on, my eyes lit up like I saw a treasure of diamonds !!! I told her how fabulous she was and she was so flattered and completely modest about her work, I swear MODEST!!! (that would later change LOL)
Patricia Field's Halloween Party 2005 and a drawing she made for me and kept,that is right KEPT!!!
Irina Shabayeva has been called the BITCH of this season and portrayed by excellent production editing as the villain. The villain however is always somewhere around the top if not the number one gold winner usually. Her competitive nature has always worked for and equally against her too in certain given situations. However there is absolutely no doubt she is and will be a long standing be Project Runway star joining the ranks of Christian Siriano perhaps. A trend that seems to have lacked in 95 percent of the contestants and winners on this award winning series. Irina after all no matter how negative a label put on this primadonna is a seriously talented and professionally trained designer who can both illustrate a beautiful work of art and execute her ideas into an absolutely beautiful garment that captures the original work of art. She builds a story from a strong inspiration story palette and mood, she brings it to life into a well crafted detail oriented garment draped or tailored . This is a talent, especially when you bring brilliant fitting into the picture. I'm allowed to say all this because I too went through the 4 year cut throat program at Parson's School of Design. I also went through it with the she diva herself sharing cutting table space or steeling it(in her eyes). We became the best of friends in the harshest times. When I say harsh it was harsher for her being that second semester over our winter break she went skying and broke her entire leg,had surgery and was cast bound for the second half of our senior year. She shed tears and got over it moving around on a full leg cast and crutches through HORRIBLE BLIZZARDS. I trekked through the snow with this feisty female buying our fabric and threads after school and returned to it working till 9pm closing while testing the building keepers nerve to get another 15 minutes out of the workroom space. A part of me almost feels she if anyone has earned the right to an attitude problem LOL. I'm not so sure that will win friends and influence people but it sure as hell will bring other wins her way. I'm pretty sure she won't go all Armorosa on us (see http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/variousartists/photos/gallery/5400026/photo/10)....Well at least I hope??? Hell she once got into a physical brawl with Vena Cava's Sophie Buhai over the in class CD player, gimp legged and all (another privileged sight) I do love Sophie though. Irina was my best bud but Sophie was my favorite classmate. Irina just couldn't take listening to Cat Power one more time and Sophie was hell bent not on hearing Celine Dion (team Sophie on that one)
The Lifetime drama race to the 100k fails to mention any of this and it doesn't mention that She not only embraced her senior thesis on a 1hr train commute from Sheeps Head Bay on the Q train at times as a cripple with stars in her eyes, broke as a joke living in her parent's apt on the living room couch (aka sweat shop art studio)...The Shabayeva clan is truly an American dream bound bunch amidst in this crazy city!!! If this isn't determination I don't know what is?
All this being said,yes Irina drove me crazy,but could make me and still can make me laugh! And she does have a very soft side as well she just won't dare show it! So all you haters or just plane inquisitive peeps take a good look at what talent is, www.irinashabayeva.com and know that true beauty cannot be created without some true beauty coexisting on the inside of one's soul.
One of Patricia Field's Birthday Parties about 4 years back.
Go fourth Irina,live your dream,spend that money well,and maybe reimburse me for the 5 months I let you live for free out of my pad when you left that disaster of a roomate....
-Kristen May Anastasia
