U svetu gde se moda, umetnost i duhovnost prepliću, Zarina Yeva stoji kao oličenje savremenog glamura i neustrašive autentičnosti. U ekskluzivnom razgovoru, otkriva nam detalje svoje bajkovite ljubavne priče, kako je manifestovala muškarca svojih snova, zašto je odabrala crnu venčanicu i kako je njeno venčanje postalo ostvarenje sna. Uz to, govori o ljubavi, stvaranju, radu sa legendarnom Ellen von Unwerth i uzbudljivim projektima koji tek dolaze. Upoznajte ženu koja ne prati trendove—ona ih stvara.
Kako je izgledao Vaš proces pronalaženja venčanice? Šta Vas je navelo da odaberete upravo Veru Wang?
Sve se dogodilo na najčudesniji, sudbinski način. Tokom našeg trećeg izlaska u Njujorku, u januaru 2023, Michael i ja smo večerali u Lavo NYC. Stigli smo ranije i imali malo vremena da prošetamo, a odmah pored Lavo restorana nalazila se Vera Wang Bride x Pronovias radnja. U izlogu sam ugledala najlepšu haljinu, fotografisala je i u šali rekla: „Želim da se udam u Veri Wang na našem venčanju.” Nasmejali smo se i nastavili dalje—potpuno sam zaboravila na to.
Kada sam kasnije išla na probe venčanica sa svojim stilistom, poslao mi je adresu i nisam mnogo razmišljala o tome. Ali kada smo stigli, bila sam u šoku—bio je to isti onaj butik iz snova koji sam fotografisala skoro dve godine ranije. Naježila sam se.
Čim sam ušla i ugledala haljinu, bila sam očarana. Bila je to prva koju sam probala, i iako sam isprobala mnogo drugih, nijedna joj nije mogla parirati. Bila je elegantna, nenametljivo šik i činilo se kao da je stvorena baš za mene. Bez razmišljanja sam znala da je to „ona prava”.
Odlučili ste se za crnu venčanicu, umesto tradicionalne bele. Kako ta boja odražava Vaš lični stil?
Obožavam crnu boju—ona je za mene najmoćnija boja na svetu. Uvek kažem: „Crna je tako srećna boja.” Oduvek sam zamišljala netradicionalno venčanje, nešto van ustaljenih okvira. Tako sam odlučila da svi naši gosti nose belo, dok ćemo Michael i ja nositi crno.
Crna venčanica je poetična, smela, misteriozna i elegantna. Ona simbolizuje moć. Baš kao što je Coco Chanel promenila svet mode sa malom crnom haljinom, ja sam želela da uradim isto—ali sa veličanstvenom crnom venčanicom. Crna me podseća na kosmos—85% svemira je crno. Ona predstavlja i ništavilo i beskonačni potencijal. Podseća me da mi sami stvaramo svoj svet, oblikujući stvarnost iz praznine. Često meditiram, i kada zatvorim oči, sve što vidim je crnilo—prostor iz kog sve počinje. Za mene je crna početak svega. Kada je nosim, osećam se nezaustavljivo.
Kako ste upoznali svog supruga?
Manifestovala sam naš susret—on je zaista sve što sam ikada želela u muškarcu. Neizmerno ga poštujem i ponosna sam što ga mogu nazvati svojim mužem. On je ljubav mog života.
Upoznali smo se 13. decembra 2022. na koncertu Billie Eilish. Ali ono što je neverovatno jeste da sam samo dve nedelje pre toga zapisala u svoj dnevnik sve osobine koje želim kod savršenog muškarca—plava kosa, plave oči, svaki detalj, način na koji se ponaša prema meni, kako se uz njega osećam, pa čak i visinu: 1.92 ili 1.95. Kada sam upoznala Michaela, odgovarao je svakom opisu. Kada sam ga pitala za visinu, nasmejao se i rekao: „1.92 ili 1.95”. U tom trenutku sam shvatila da univerzum ima smisao za humor. Bio je to snažan znak da, ako niste precizni u vezi s onim što želite, niko drugi neće biti. Preciznost je sve.
Još jedan znak? Nekoliko dana pre nego što smo se upoznali, imala sam san u kojem sam jasno čula ime Michael. Kada sam se probudila, pomislila sam da je to verovatno arhanđel Michael, moj omiljeni. Ali kada sam u stvarnom životu upoznala svog Michaela, sve je dobilo smisao.
Na našem prvom pravom dejtu u Catch LA, razgovarali smo satima i odmah se povezali. Te večeri smo oboje uneli u svoje kalendare datum venčanja. Ja sam zapisala: „Do leta 2025. udaću se za Michaela, ljubav svog života,” a on je napisao isto: „Jun 2025 – oženjen sam za Zarinu, ljubav svog života.” Sve je bilo kao iz bajke. Kada pogledam unazad, jasno mi je da su svi naši izbori i putevi vodili upravo ovde—ka savršenom spoju sudbine i ljubavi.
Verujete li u modernu romansu i u to da ljubav pobeđuje sve?
Apsolutno. Ljubav je najmoćnija sila na svetu. Ona sve pobeđuje, sve leči i čini život neizmerno lepšim. Ljubav nas inspiriše da budemo bolji, da stvaramo i da sanjamo. Neka od najlepših umetničkih dela u istoriji nastala su upravo iz ljubavi. Ljubav je najviša vibracija—božanska frekvencija. Kada smo zaljubljeni, osećamo se nepobedivo. Uz ljubav možemo prebroditi sve prepreke i ostvariti sve snove. Duboko verujem u ljubav i volim da volim. Ljubav je život.
Kako je bilo raditi sa Ellen von Unwerth?
Ona je ikona. Legenda. Genije. I izuzetna žena.
Ellen ima neverovatnu energiju—naša fotografisanja su bila prepuna radosti i zabave. Njena vizija, profesionalizam i strast zaista su jedinstveni. Ona je prava umetnica. Osim što ima ogroman talenat, zrači ljubavlju prema životu. Zahvalna sam što sam imala priliku da radim sa njom i presrećna što smo postale prijateljice.
Kako je izgledalo planiranje venčanja? Da li je bilo teško organizovati tako veliki događaj?
Od detinjstva sam imala jasnu viziju svog venčanja—a stvarnost je nadmašila čak i moje najsmelije snove. Imali smo venčanje u Sayuliti, Meksiku—mestu toliko čarobnom da ga lokalci zovu Magical Town. Samo planiranje bilo je čisto zadovoljstvo, jer nije bilo reč samo o organizaciji, već o stvaranju nečeg što sam oduvek zamišljala.
Posebno sam uživala u biranju svojih šest venčanica:
- Vera Wang Bride
- Pronovias
- Ese Azenabor Couture
- Netta Ben Shabu Couture
- Custom Michael Costello
- Atelier Pronovias
Svaka od njih bila je posebno iskustvo. Takođe sam obožavala da osmišljavam pozivnice, biram muziku i pažljivo planiram svaki detalj. Sve je bilo kao jedno čudesno putovanje.
Nakon tako bajkovitog venčanja, šta sledi za Vas?
Brak je sve uzdigao na viši nivo. Naš odnos je postao još dublji, a ja osećam kao da sam postala potpuno nova verzija sebe. Imati voljenog i podržavajućeg partnera menja sve—podrška je najvažniji temelj života. Michael je moj najveći oslonac i volim to što svakog dana uz njega postajem bolja osoba. Trenutno sam duboko posvećena poslu, ali uz njega kraj sebe, život je postao još lepši.
Imate li neki novi projekat zbog kog ste posebno uzbuđeni?
Da! Trenutno radim na dva filmska projekta, oba su u fazi predprodukcije. Volela bih da jedan od njih i produciram, uz to što bih igrala glavnu ulogu.
Pored glume, i dalje sam veoma aktivna u modnoj industriji—radim na projektima, editorijalima, kampanjama i modnim nedeljama. Moj raspored je gust, ali volim svaki trenutak onoga što radim.
English here:
How was the process of finding your wedding dress? What led you to choose Vera Wang?
It all happened in the most serendipitous way. During our third date night in New York in January 2023, Michael and I had dinner at Lavo NYC. We arrived early and had time to wander around, and right next to Lavo was the Vera Wang Bride x Pronovias bridal boutique. I saw the most stunning dress in the display window, took a picture of it, and jokingly said, “I want to get married in Vera Wang on our wedding day.” We laughed and moved on—I completely forgot about it.
Fast forward to my dress fittings with my stylist. He sent me an address, and I didn’t think much of it. But when our car pulled up, I was in awe—it was the exact same Vera Wang Bride x Pronovias boutique I had photographed almost two years ago. I got goosebumps.
The moment I stepped inside and saw the dress, I was mesmerized. It was the first one I tried on, and even though I explored many other options, nothing compared. It was effortlessly chic, elegant, and felt like it was meant for me. Without a doubt, I knew it was the one.
Instead of traditional white, you chose a different color for your wedding dress. How does it reflect your personal style?
I love black—it’s the most powerful color in the world. As I always say, “Black is such a happy color.” I’ve always envisioned a non-traditional wedding, something outside the box. So, I decided all our guests would wear white while Michael and I wore black.
A black wedding dress is poetic, bold, mysterious, and elegant. It symbolizes power. Just as Coco Chanel revolutionized fashion with the little black dress, I wanted to do the same—but with a grand black wedding gown. Black reminds me of the cosmos—85% of our universe is black. It represents both nothingness and infinite potential. It’s a reminder that we are the creators of our own lives, shaping reality from the void. I meditate often, and when I close my eyes, I see blackness—the space from which all creation begins. To me, black is the most powerful color, the beginning of all things. And when I wear it, I feel unstoppable.
Can you tell us how you and your husband met?
I manifested meeting my husband—he is everything I ever dreamed of in a man. I admire him immensely and am beyond proud to call him my husband. He is the love of my life.
We met on December 13, 2022, at a Billie Eilish concert. But what’s incredible is that two weeks before, I wrote down everything I wanted in my perfect man in my journal—blonde hair, blue eyes, every character trait, how he treats me, how he makes me feel, even his height: 6’3 or 6’4. When I met Michael in person, he matched everything I had written down. When I asked about his height, he laughed and said, “6’3 or 6’4.” At that moment, I realized the universe had a sense of humor. It was a powerful reminder that if you’re not clear about what you want, no one will be. Precision is everything.
Another sign? Before we met, I had a dream where I heard the name Michael so clearly. When I woke up, I thought, Oh, it must be Archangel Michael, my favorite. But when I met my Michael in real life, everything clicked.
On our very first real date at Catch LA, we talked for hours and had the most amazing time. That night, we impulsively put our wedding date in our calendars. I wrote, “By summer 2025, I will marry Michael, the love of my life.” And he wrote the same thing: “June 2025—I’m married to Zarina, the love of my life.” It was like a fairytale, as if everything was meant to be. Looking back, I see how every choice and every action led to this beautiful outcome—a perfect tapestry of life.
Do you believe in modern romance and that love conquers all?
Absolutely. Love is the most powerful force in the world. It conquers all, heals all, and makes everything more beautiful. Love inspires us to be better, to create, to dream. Some of the most extraordinary masterpieces in history were born out of love.
Love is the highest frequency—the frequency of the divine. When we are in love, we are unstoppable. We can overcome any challenge and achieve anything. I believe in love deeply, and I love being in love. Love is life.
What was it like working with Ellen von Unwerth?
She is an ICON. A legend. A genius. And an extraordinary woman.
Ellen has such an incredible energy—our photoshoots were endless fun and pure joy. Her vision, professionalism, and passion are unmatched. She’s a true artist. Beyond her immense talent, she has such a vibrant love for life. I feel incredibly blessed to have worked with her, and I’m grateful that we became good friends.
What was the process of planning your wedding like? Was it difficult to organize such a big event?
Since childhood, I’ve had a vision for my wedding—and reality exceeded even my wildest dreams. We had a destination wedding in Sayulita, Mexico a place so enchanting that the locals call it a Magical Town. Planning everything was pure joy because it wasn’t just about logistics—it was about bringing my dreams to life.
One of my favorite parts was choosing my six wedding dresses:
- Vera Wang Bride
- Pronovias
- Ese Azenabor Couture
- Netta Ben Shabu Couture
- Custom Michael Costello
- Atelier Pronovias
Every selection felt magical. I also loved designing the invitations, curating the music, and planning every little detail. It was an unforgettable journey.
After such a dream wedding, what’s next for you?
Marriage elevates everything. My relationship feels even deeper, and I feel like an entirely new version of myself. Having a loving, supportive husband changes everything—support is the most important foundation in life. Michael is my biggest fan, and I love how he makes me a better person every single day.
Right now, I’m fully immersed in work, but life feels even more beautiful with him by my side.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?
Yes! I’m currently working on two film projects, both in pre-production. I’d love to produce one and star as the lead actress.
Aside from acting, I remain deeply involved in the fashion industry—working on modeling projects, editorials, campaigns, and fashion weeks. My schedule is nonstop, but I love what I do. My work fuels my passion and inspires me to keep pushing forward every single day.
Team:
Zarina Yeva & Michael J’s wedding
Credits:
Photographer: Ellen Von Unwerth
Stylist: Mike Adler
Makeup: Petra Dianova
Hair: Gabriela Medina
Producers: Valentina Gurova & Cory Tran
Wedding Dress: Vera Wang Bride x Pronovias
Dinner Dress: Atelier Pronovias
Cake/First dance: Ese Azenabor
Party dress: Netta Ben Shabu
Rehearsal Dinner: Custom Michael Costello
Rehearsal Dinner dress: Pronovias
Jewelry: Bee Goddess
Groom’s tuxedo: Huntsman
Photographer’s assistant: Eduardo Valderrama
Art designer: Courtney Kibby
Wedding planner: Karen Ruezga
Florist: Carmen McKnight
