For 18 years supermodel Natalia Vodianova has used her fashion power to help thousands of kids

Natalia Vodianova calls from Cannes where she is enjoying her Sunday morning before she hits the red carpet for the most illustrious film festival. As one of the most recognisable and beautiful faces in the world, it’s easy to think that Vodianova is all about glitz and glamour. However, she is very clear that this is only one side of her life.

Vodianova grew up with a single mum. Her sister Oksana had autism and cerebral palsy which gave her a first-hand view into “what it's like to live with a sibling with special needs and what it entails.” She explains, “raising her has been incredibly hard". Her mum had to work a lot so Vodianova became responsible for a large amount of her sister's care, along with helping with "the house and the cooking.”

It not only forced Vodianova to grow up quickly, but it also impacted the household financially. “It also plunged us into great poverty because the pension for children with special needs is very little,” she adds.

While Vodianova’s struggles were hard, the lessons she learned have allowed her to help thousands of other children through her charity, The Naked Heart Foundation. “Decide isn’t exactly the right word. I was moved to start my charity,” she explains of the foundation she founded 18 years ago at just 22.

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"When I became successful as a model, it was something I couldn't ignore, I couldn't just go on enjoying my newfound success, comfort, and safety without thinking of all the families that were left behind that are struggling like mine once was,” she says.

“It was this need to meet the two worlds that I'm part of. I don't think that I'm only part of this glamorous fashion world. I am also part of what I know best. And what I know best is my past.”

The Naked Heart Foundation is a philanthropic organisation that focuses on children with disabilities, especially focusing on autism. In fact, over the years, the foundation has raised awareness of the disorder by 77 per cent in Russia. “Before people didn't even know what autism was. There was not even the legal term, a legal diagnosis with this name,” she explains.

“Awareness is so little as we see so few people with special needs in our daily lives,” she continues. “But when one child with autism is diagnosed, it's a huge trauma for parents because they're just not prepared for it, because the world does not prepare you for it, because the world hides it.”

Raising awareness is only one part of the project, Vodianova and her team have created inclusive playgrounds consisting of environments where children with special needs would play and socialise together with typically developed kids. And for those with special needs, they have built family support centres and worked with hundreds of specialists on early childhood intervention.

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“We know that we can do so much in the first five years of a child’s life. But it needs a lot of investment. This intervention is very expensive. It's 20 hours a week of one-on-one intensive work between the specialist and the child. We know that 10 per cent of the children who go through this program might have the diagnosis of Autism taken away from them.”

And while this world might feel far from the Cannes red carpet, Vodianova believes her ties with the fashion and beauty industry has allowed her to make such an impact. One collaboration in particular is her collection for Chopard’s Happy Hearts range designed with Chopard co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele. Part of the profit from the range will go to the charity. “It came from just emotion and this notion to make something concrete,” Vodianova says of the dainty bangles (the bangle is the flagship interpretation of the Happy Hearts collection), sautoir necklaces and chandelier earrings. Mother of pearl is the star of the range set against ethical 18-carat rose or white gold.

For a foundation that has family at its core, this jewellery line seems a fitting tribute especially as Vodianova has a very strong connection to the power of jewels. One of her favourite pieces is a glass necklace from her grandmother. “It's not diamonds, but to me, it's much more precious than diamonds… it symbolises her love for me,” she explains.

“That's what jewellery is. It's something that you pass on and something that if you wear enough, starts representing who you are and then it's passed onto the next generation. It’s a way to keep yourself still present for your family members.”