Translation Evguenia Kossogova, Genevieve Oger.Multimedia Design and Production Daniel Herrera-Castillo.Photos Jean-François Bélanger, Alexey Sergeev.She’s studying tourism and hopes to one day manage a large hotel. To be ready to seize the opportunity if presented with it, Kristina has been taking intensive English courses. Only a fraction of them will ever end up with real modelling careers. Anna selects about 30 young women during each of her Siberian scouting trips. If she loses a little weight, she could end up in Paris within the year, modeling the creations of top designers.īut few are chosen. They learn fashion photography techniques and how to sway their hips on a catwalk.įifteen-year-old Kristina Churina, a recent graduate, catches Stephane Hababou’s eye. It’s a unique breeding ground for girls who start training as early as age 10 or 12. Russia’s largest modelling school is in Novosibirsk. The visitors still take a few photos and recommend she go on a diet. “Marina is a little overweight.” At 93 centimetres, her hips are too wide. The 17-year-old barely has the time to take two steps before a cutting remark welcomes her into the world of modelling, even if pronounced under the guise of humour. Three Centimetres Too WideĪnna invites Marina Korotkova to step forward. It’s an opportunity to follow both an American and French dream, a chance to escape the daily drudgery of life in Siberia. Everyone knows Hababou holds the key to a possible career abroad. The presence of this visitor from Paris ramps up the pressure. Anna and Stephane stop in every large city of the region, holding a casting call that is open to all.Ībout 50 teen girls in black undergarments and stiletto heels greet Anna and Stephane at every stop. Hababou says it’s the best way for him to find new prospects ahead of his competition.

He represents the prestigious Marilyn agency in Paris. Her travelling companion, Stephane Hababou, watches the photos of would-be models scroll across the screen. Four times a year she crosses her native region by train searching for the next top models, the ones who will one day strut the catwalks of Paris or New York. She discovers new talents for the Noah Models agency in St.

They are the result, she says, of years of mixed marriages by citizens from different republics of the former Soviet Union.Īnna is a scout. She wants to show her international visitor the many charms of Siberian beauties. Anna Yuzhakova takes her laptop computer with her to the restaurant car.

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