Anja Rubik (born Anna Helena Rubik; 12 June 1983) is a Polish model, activist, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She is one of the most prominent models of the 20th and 21st century, continuously featuring on magazine covers, as well as runways and campaigns for the most notable fashion houses. By 2009, Rubik was dubbed a "top model" by French Vogue and continues to influence the fashion industry.
Rubik is the founder of SEXEDpl, a foundation that builds and promotes comprehensive sex education in Poland. Rubik also plays a substantial role in supporting the women's rights movement as well as the LGBT+ community in Poland, as an activist and public speaker. She lives and works between New York City, Paris and Warsaw.
Early life
Rubik was born in Rzeszów, Poland. In 1983, she and her parents, both doctors of veterinary medicine, moved to Greece. They later moved to Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada and, further, to Umtata in Transkei, South Africa. In 1994, they moved back to Poland to Częstochowa, where Rubik attended school. At thirteen she took part in the Elite Model Look, and later joined the D'ivision Model Agency. At the age of seventeen, Anja moved to Paris where she completed her education at a British high school, École Bilingue, and where she continued her modelling career. In 2003, she moved to New York City where she continues to live and work, dividing her time between the United States, Paris and Warsaw. Her family still lives in Poland.
Career
Model
Rubik made her runway debut during the Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 1998 Chanel haute couture show. Her modelling career started to take off after she landed her first campaign for Chloé photographed by Inez and Vinoodh. By the end of the year, she was labeled fashion's rising star by Style.com. By 2009, Rubik was dubbed a "top model" by French Vogue. In 2011, the International Business Times hailed "supermodel" Rubik as the "world's most in-demand model".
Vogue Paris declared Rubik one of the top 30 models of the aughts. In 2010 she was ranked as one of the top 25 Money Girls by models.com. By 2012, she was ranked as an Industry Icon.
In addition to her seven-year period as the face of Chloé, Rubik has fronted campaigns for Gucci for four consecutive seasons, photographed by Mert and Marcus, and Fendi for four consecutive seasons, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. The designer-photographer has also photographed Rubik for numerous magazine covers including Chanel and the 2011 Pirelli Calendar. Lagerfeld has referred to Rubik as one of his favourite models.
Rubik has also starred in campaigns for Armani, Balmain, Dante Herró, Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, Estée Lauder, Givenchy, Hermès, Lanvin, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent. Rubik was the face of Chloé's fragrance alongside Chloë Sevigny and Clémence Poésy, and she starred in Fendi's Fan di Fendi fragrance campaign with Mark Ronson. In addition, Rubik has been the principal in campaigns for Barneys New York, Belstaff, BLK DNM, Bottega Veneta, DKNY, Etro, Dante Herró, Forever 21, Gap, H&M, Jimmy Choo, Karl by Karl Lagerfeld, Kurt Geiger, La Perla, Lacoste, Mango, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Seven Jeans, Tod's, Tommy Hilfiger, and Zara.
Rubik has been modelling in London, Milan, New York, and Paris throughout the 2000s. Rubik's select runway appearances include the Haute Couture collections of Atelier Versace, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford and Valentino. She has walked the runway for the prêt-à-porter collections of Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Anthony Vaccarello, Balenciaga, Balmain, Burberry Prorsum, Chloé (5 seasons), Emanuel Ungaro, Emilio Pucci, Fendi (4 seasons), Gucci (4 seasons), Isabel Marant, Kanye West's DW Kanye West line, Michael Kors, Prada, and Victoria's Secret among others.
Rubik has been featured on the covers of more than thirty international editions of Vogue. She was selected to cover the fourth issue of Porter magazine, following Gisele Bündchen, Lady Gaga and Lara Stone, and The New York Times Style Magazine. She has also covered international editions of Elle, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Nylon, Numéro, self service, and W magazines. She was one of the three Poles, alongside Lech Wałęsa and John Paul II, who appeared on the cover of Time magazine, photographed by Ben Hassett.