Kanye West & Irina Shayk: Why Their New Relationship Works — ‘They Have A Lot In Common’

View gallery

Kanye West, 44, and Irina Shayk, 35, initially seemed like an odd pairing — but it turns out the rapper and model have “a lot in common,” a source spills to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “Kanye and Irina met at various fashion events over the years and have known each other awhile. He reached out about a month ago and they just started talking,” the source told us after Kanye and Irina’s getaway to France. “He loves that she is a model because she knows fashion and is very well respected in the industry,” they noted.

The Chicago born rapper has been an influential force in the fashion world in recent years, primarily through his line Yeezy and collaborations with Adidas (in particular, his often sold out Boost sneakers and Resin slides). Kanye can be credited for driving a number of popular trends, including the use of neutral palettes, leather and taking streetwear more mainstream. For her part, Irina has walked in shows for some of the biggest designers in the world including Burberry, Miu Miu, Versace, Givenchy and more. The Russian model has also covered the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

“She knows about it differently and more in depth than [Kim did] when he first met Kim,” the source went on. Although Kim isn’t a professional model, the 40-year-old reality star has also become a tour-de-force in fashion with her popular shape and loungewear line SKIMS. In addition, the mom-of-four is the face behind her own popular cosmetics line KKW Beauty. Despite Kim’s soaring popularity, Kanye is interested in being with someone who understands the high fashion world.

“He wants to be with someone who knows that world and is creative and well respected on their own in it. She likes that he’s well respected and understands fashion and she knows he’s helping elevate her name and career. It’s nothing serious yet, but they like each other and enjoy spending time together,” our insider revealed. Of note, Kim and Kanye married in Italy back in 2014 and went on to welcome four children: North, 7, Saint, 5, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 1. After months of reports that they were living apart, Kim filed for divorce in Feb. 2021.

The latest scoop on Kanye and Irina comes after the pair were photographed together in Provence, France where the Yeezus rapper celebrated his 44th birthday. The two were on a seemingly romantic stroll around the gorgeous Villa La Coste hotel on Tuesday, June 8th. Kanye flashed a bright smile as he walked behind Irina, who stayed casual in a white crop top and black pants. Kanye and Irina were spotted arriving back to the United States together on June 9th, staggering their exits off a private plane at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. While Irina appears to be back at home in NYC, Kanye continued his journey out west where he was spotted in Malibu on June 10th.