In an alternate universe, Vita Sidorkina wouldn’t be stomping down the runway in a ball gown missing everything but its sleeves and some barely-there lingerie.
If the 25-year-old Russian bombshell had fulfilled her childhood dream, she’d be a flight attendant in a demure uniform hiding some of the most sought-after curves in the world of fashion.
No Victoria’s Secret shoots, no Maxim cover, and no fun except for a lucky planeload of passengers. We can all say a word of thanks that in this case at least dreams didn’t come true.
Yet she has more than fulfilled her fancy of seeing the world—and the pay is a hell of a lot better to boot—with almost 800,000 Instagram followers along for the ride.
“Modeling is not something I dreamed of growing up,” the blonde beauty tells Maxim.
“I got into it by accident! A friend invited me to a local modeling school for a summer camp, where I took my first professional pictures and uploaded them on social media. About a month later I was contacted by an agency in Moscow who told me I had potential to become a model and offered me a three-month contract in Japan.”
After moving to New York City at the age of 17 in 2011, Sidorkina began modeling for an impressive array of clients, including Lilly Pulitzer, BCBG, Elie Tahari, Rebecca Minkoff and Philipp Plein. Her big break came when she landed a spot in the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
“I was so thrilled!” she says. “I prepared and worked really hard for two years to get there. Victoria’s Secret is the brand all models in the industry dream of, the competition is insane. It’s really a big deal to be selected.”
And a big deal it was, because the lingerie extravaganza proved to be the official turning point in Sidorkina’s career, immediately launching her to exponential heights.
“I will be forever grateful to PINK and Victoria’s Secret for opening so many doors,” she notes. Doors that the pretty girl from Khabarovsk, a city on the eastern edge of Russia near the Chinese border, never could have imagined.
“Growing up there was really beautiful,” she says of her hometown.
“I spent my summers at my grandmother’s dacha, or cottage, by the Amur River. Winters were long and there was so much snow everywhere, so I would ski and ice skate– two sports I still love to this day. Growing up in such extreme weather conditions was so [incredible], and even going to school was an adventure. That made me a bit of a tomboy, even though a part of me has always been very girly.”
In 2017 Sidorkina tied the knot with Italian real estate developer Valerio Morabito, and to score such a stunning wife, the lucky groom went went above and beyond to impress his lovely lady and literally flew clear across the world for their first encounter.
“My husband swept me off my feet when he flew from Miami to Sydney where I was for work to have our first date. You can’t beat that.”
Clearly he continues to keep that standard at the same astronomical level each and every day, because Sidorkina is absolutely loving her new role.
“Married life is amazing! Everything is so much better when you have your soulmate by your side. I definitely think that any relationship requires work but it should never feel forced. The key is to be honest and open about your feelings, and accept your other half exactly the way they are.”
These days Sidorkina also balances being a supermodel and a supermom. Having welcomed her daughter Allegra to the world in November 2018, she is back in front of the camera and more beautiful than ever.
“It feels really special to be on the cover of Maxim only ten months after my baby was born. It’s something I would have never imagined. Pregnancy changes a woman’s body, but I feel more confident about my body now than I did before.”
There’s no reason not to be confident when you’re Vita Sidorkina, and it’s also no wonder she made a speedy rebound.
“My weekly routine is two days of pilates, two days of yoga, and two days of light weight training,” she tells us. Her blessed genes don’t hurt, either.
“I would call myself a workout addict. I love being active! There’s nothing better than starting your day with a good workout, it just puts you mentally in a better place for the whole day. Since I became a mother it’s definitely more challenging to find time but I’m getting back on track.”
Behind everything that comes with being a high-profile model, Sidorkina finds solace in her quiet home life with her family as a new mom above all else.
“I enjoy the simple things, like going to the movies and spending time with my child and husband,” she says.
“Ever since I had a baby I realized that life is not about me anymore! Being a parent means making sacrifices, but it’s also the most rewarding thing ever. I’m just starting to get back to business, and managing a family and a career that requires spending lots of time on airplanes is no easy task!”
Luckily, her favorite part of being a model is something she gets to do often, something the little girl from Khabarovsk always wanted, but in a way that’s a hundred times more glamorous: seeing the world.
“Meeting new and interesting people is definitely a big bonus that I get working as a model,” she says.
With a Maxim cover to her credit now, she can definitely expect a lot more fascinating people and places in the years to come.
For more of Vita Sidorkina’s stunning cover shoot, check out Maxim’s September/October issue.