Irina Shayk Says She Has 'No Time for Other People's Opinions' of Her: 'I'm a Capricorn'

Irina Shayk is unbothered.

Since the early days of her modeling career, Shayk, now 37, has maintained the same laissez-faire mindset about the opinions of others.

In a conversation with Harper's Bazaar, she recalled being told early in her career that she didn't "look like a model." Shayk said she often heard, " 'She's not skinny, she's too sexy, she's never going to be a model.' "

Her response was always the same. "I was always like, 'No, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to lose 10 pounds.' "

"Maybe it's because I'm a Capricorn. My mom would always say, 'You're so stubborn.' It's just part of my personality."

Even now, more than a decade into a successful career, Shayk, who exploded onto the scene in 2007 as the first Russian model to ever land a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover, maintains the same unbothered mindset.

"I'm so busy," she shared of life with her 6-year-old Lea de Seine, whom she shares with ex Bradley Cooper. "We don't have a nanny, so between trying to run my career, cook, clean, dress my daughter, bring her to school, and do all the mom stuff, I have no time for people's opinions."

In the age of social media, she said she's able to avoid looking for validation online. "Why on earth would I click and read 2,000 comments? I kind of don't rely on it. I have my friends, my family. They love me, and I know who I am."

Motherhood has played a role in Shayk's relationship with herself and her body image, too. She said she looks to Emily Ratajkowski for inspiration, calling the fellow model "always sexy and feminine and all about loving your body," while still prioritizing being a mother.

"Sometimes I wake up and I feel cute and I think, 'Oh, should I put these pictures out on social media?' One voice says, 'Oh, but people will say, 'You're a mother.' ' And I'm like, 'But what does it mean?' "

Though she said she's "not so vocal about it," compared to Ratajkowski — who is arguably the master of the naked dress — she's "totally on the same wavelength: You're a mother, but it doesn't mean you cannot go outside in a tiny little skirt or put a sexy picture up."

The model also said that her daughter inspires her.

"My daughter is a big part of why I started to love myself even more," Shayk said. "She'll say, 'I love Daddy so much, I love Mama so much, I love Nana, I love Babulya—' who is my mom. Then she goes, 'And I really love myself.' And I'm looking at my daughter and I'm like, 'Wow, I wasn't like that at 6 years old.' You know what I mean? I didn't have her thoughts at 6 years old."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She added that in 2023, her daughter is "growing up in a different environment," which is something that scares her.

"But," she added, "most important is teaching our daughter bigger values than being pretty on the outside."