Celebrity Kanye West Kanye West Reportedly "Actively Pursued" Irina Shayk After His Divorce From Kim Kardashian The model appeared in his "Power" music video over a decade ago. By Christopher Luu Christopher Luu Instagram Twitter Christopher is a Southern California-based editor and has been with InStyle since 2018. He covers all things entertainment, celebrity, and culture. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on June 16, 2021 @ 03:52PM Pin Share Tweet Email Kanye West didn't just surprise fans with an impromptu look at his collaboration with Gap in the months since Kim Kardashian filed for divorce. Aside from his professional pursuits, the rapper-designer made headlines when he was seen with model Irina Shayk. According to Page Six, however, the relationship isn't exactly new. Like Kardashian, Kanye met Shayk on the set of his music video for "Power" and sources close to West say that he's always felt a connection to her. She also walked in the Kanye West Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2012 show during Paris Fashion Week. "Kanye always had a thing for Irina, so she came to mind early on in his divorce from Kim," a source revealed. "He decided to shoot his shot, and it worked." Photo by MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Kanye West and Irina Shayk Were Photographed Together in France Another source told Us Weekly that West thought Shayk was "special" back when she was on set and confirmed that he was the one that reached out to her. Irina Shayk Shared Her First-Ever Photo of Daughter Lea "Kanye was the first one to reach out," the source told Us. "The romance was similar to his [relationship] with Kim [Kardashian] because he saw her on his ['Power'] video shoot in 2010 and thought she was gorgeous. He always thought she was special and she held a place in his mind."