Daria Werbowy

Daria Werbowy (born 19 November 1983 in Kraków) was one of the most recognised fashion models of the 2000s and 2010s. Born in Poland to a family of Ukrainian descent, she moved with her family to Mississauga, near Toronto, when she was three, and studied visual arts there. Her career stands out for combining high-profile runway work and advertising with a steady presence in the major fashion magazines.

Werbowy had never seriously considered modelling until, at 14, she won a national contest in Canada and was taken on by a Toronto agency. After switching to Elite, she found little work in London and Greece, and her first runway season was disrupted by the 9/11 attacks in New York. Soon afterwards she signed an exclusive deal with Prada. Her look combined Eastern European features with a feline gaze, and she walked for houses such as Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Versace and Balenciaga. In 2003 she appeared three times on the cover of Vogue Italia, in the mid-2000s she signed with Lancôme, and she was photographed for the Pirelli Calendar in 2009 and 2011.

In 2016, while still in demand, she retired to pursue photography and sailing, a passion that took her across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Vogue later called her the "ultimate model muse", praising her versatility and nonchalant attitude. In 2023 she returned briefly to modelling for a Gucci campaign. Her legacy is that of a model who adapted to many different styles and fashion houses over more than a decade.