Many models balance their busy career schedules with school, but few do it as well as Lanvin opener Sasha Antonowskaia. Discovered on her way to a lecture, the elegant Belarusian beauty made a splash during Paris fashion week, appearing on the runways for Dior, Dries Van Noten, Carven, and Givenchy. Though her debut season has provided more than its share of excitement, Antonowskaia’s biggest thrills were the moments where her economics background and newfound fashion success converged. As a student at the prestigious Warsaw School of Economics, Antonowskaia studies the intersection between consumerism and culture. Watching Alber Elbaz craft his Moroccan-influenced Fall collection provided Antonowskaia with the perfect case study and a touch of gratification. “I feel really proud and honored that the Lanvin family and, most important, Alber trusted me to open the show,” says Antonowskaia. “I’m interested in fashion history. I’m happy to see how designers and stylists work to build a collection. It seems magical to me, how they see small details I would never notice.”
Blessed with sculptural features and an appealing severity, Antonowskaia has been embraced by designers who favor complex beauty over cookie-cutter prettiness. Still, she hopes to do more than be pigeonholed as the designated edgy girl. “I would like to try [modeling] in different roles. I think I’m quite multifaceted, even though I have a strong face. I hope it will serve as a plus,” says Antonowskaia. Refreshingly self-aware when it comes to her look and its potential, she’s also prepping for more than just covers and campaigns. “I’d like to be a polyglot and to learn a few more languages. Before, I thought I would become a diplomat, but at the moment I’m looking forward to discovering new things. We’ll see!”
