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Meet the New Girl: Ginta Lapina Went From dELIiA*s to Yves Saint Laurent

Way back in 2005, Latvian model Ginta Lapina, then 16 years old, hit the lucrative teenage market hard, scoring gigs modeling for dELiA*s (OMG, middle school!) and shooting editorials for Teen Vogue. After three years in the commercial field, Lapina signed with Women Management in late 2008 to try her luck in high-fashion modeling — a notoriously difficult transition to make. And yet off the bat she landed fall 2009 shows with Dolce & Gabbana, Vivienne Westwood, Miu Miu, and Yves Saint Laurent. A season later, she cemented her status as one of the runway’s hottest faces when she opened for Nina Ricci and closed for Louis Vuitton. Shortly thereafter, she snagged editorial work in Numéro and became the face of Derek Lam’s fall campaign. Now 21, Lapina is still in the midst of booking frenzy: This season alone, she is featured in print ads for Miu Miu, Sportmax, and Yves Saint Laurent cosmetics. Click ahead to read a brief Q&A with Lapina, and then visit her new model-profile page to see loads of on- and off-the-runway pics.

You’ve been modeling since you were a teen. What keeps you going?
Patience, patience, patience! Never stop believing in yourself. My success did not happen overnight, so all the years leading up to this point were years of hard work. I had to keep faith and remember that one day my dream to work with some of the world’s biggest and most talent designers would happen — it was only a matter of time.

You have campaigns for Miu Miu, Sportmax, and Yves Saint Laurent cosmetics this season. What is your dream campaign?
I don’t know if I have any one dream campaign. It’s a tough question because there are so many talented designers, photographers, and stylists who make a campaign come to life. It was a dream working with David Sims for Sportmax, Mert & Marcus for Miu Miu, and Terry Richardson for YSL. Joe McKenna styled all three campaigns: He knows exactly what he wants, and the images always look beautiful.

How do you decompress after a long day of working?
The first thing I do is take off my makeup and take a hot shower. That automatically relaxes me. I also love to drink jasmine tea.

What other aspirations do you have outside of modeling?
I love to paint and get creative. I also love to run and play volleyball.

How would you describe your personal style?
A cute pair of jean shorts and a tank top is my go-to summer look. I also like to have a little rock-and-roll edge in my outfit. The key is to keep it simple but never boring.

Favorite style icon?
Kate Moss! Her style is amazing!

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Meet the New Girl: Ginta Lapina Went From dELIiA*s to Yves Saint Laurent