If you were hoping to find Julia Valet, last month's Model of the Month, click here.

Yahoo!'s Model of the Month Larissa Bonderenko Brought to you by GUESS? Interactive. Standing over 5'10" with her long brown hair framing her friendly face, Larissa Bonderenko captivates a camera lens with her beauty. She's playful yet sophisticated and has a down-home charm even though she is far from her homeland of Uzbekistan, once a republic belonging to the Soviet Union, now presently independent. At age 14, Larissa's interest in modeling was sparked by a television show on models. The idea that she would become a model seemed impossible to her, especially in Russia. A few years later, she started runway modeling for a fashion house. A small modeling agency in Moscow noticed her when she was 17 years old. Soon after, she moved to Paris, but the lure of the "American Dream" brought her to the United States. In 1993, Paul Marciano, the president and creative director of GUESS?, Inc. selected her to make her debut with GUESS? in an advertising campaign photographed by Davis Factor. She later appeared in other GUESS? campaigns shot by Ellen Von Unwerth, Dewey Nicks and Daniela Federici. Larissa is still adjusting to American life, but leaving her family and her home was hard. She took English lessons for a week when she arrived, but found she learned more from actually speaking with people. When her hectic schedule allows, Larissa enjoys horseback riding, reading, painting and spending time with her dog. She likes watching professional basketball, although she admits she doesn't know all the player's names on every team. Now 25 years old and a New York City resident, Larissa would like to continue modeling, but she is interested in pursuing an acting career someday. Past Models of the Month: Drew Barrymore , Laetitia Casta, Anna Nicole Smith, Eva Herzigova, Victoria Silvstedt, Claudia Schiffer, Guess Men , Valeria Mazza, Korina Longin, Diana Gartner, and Julia Valet. Also check out Yahoo! LA Web Celeb and Yahoo! Chicago Blues Review. Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. Copyright © 1994-97 Yahoo! All Rights Reserved.