A sprawling, intersected glimpse at the seedy underbelly of the fashion industry, tracking along with an ambitious Russian model and her troubled peers as they thread the needle of drugs, disorders, surgeries and dangerous affairs to reach ultimate success on the runway.

SYNOPSIS:

The story begins at a London fashion show, where we meet Russian immigrant and up and coming model NATALIA as she walks the runway for flamboyant designer MARC ANTHONY. Backstage, Marc interacts with another model, LUCINDA, who suffers from bulimia despite already being quite thin. Watching from the front row is ANABELLE JENKINS, the powerhouse editor of Vogue magazine, who chats with photographer CARLO. Anabelle is intrigued by Natalia and expresses interest in meeting with her. A Coordinator passes the message on to Natalia. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Lucinda pukes her guts out in an effort to get skinnier. Marc celebrates a great show with his queeny assistant PABLO. In her office, Anabelle speaks with journalist CATHY, who informs her that Burberry is also interested in Natalia.

Anabelle speaks on the phone with her slightly distant husband, GEOFFERY, an important modelling agent in his own right. It's clear their marriage has gone cold and there's something missing. Natalia goes out to an upper crust gala with her model friend RACHEL. There, they are introduced to wealthy Egyptian businessman HABIB, who Rachel chases after, intrigued by his wealth. Natalia meets ANTONIO, a handsome Russian criminal, who she's smitten with. Habib and Rachel proceed to the toilets, where they have sex in the stall next to a still-vomiting and completely miserable Lucinda. Heading home, Natalia spots none other than Antonio and his crooked partner ALEKS as they partake in the murder of a black man. Aleks spots her and threatens her to stay quiet, but Antonio is none the wiser.

Natalia meets with Anabelle in her offices. She tells Anabelle about her troubled life, alluding to how her partner and her father both died tragically back in Russia. Anabelle wants to see Natalia's portfolio for the Burberry gig, but is not impressed with the amateurish photos. She tells Natalia that she'll have to fund her own new photos to the tune of ten thousand pounds sterling -- and she gives her three days to pull it together. Natalia is beleaguered, but still accepts. She calls up Antonio for a date outside Vogue House. Lucinda's bulimia continues to progress as she grows sicker. Habib takes Rachel out to meet an extravagantly rich friend of his. Natalia has sex with Antonio, then asks him for money afterwards, implying that she witnessed the murder he committed and demanding twenty five thousand pounds for her silence.

At home, Pablo speaks to another gay friend in fashion, Johnny. His stern Italian MOTHER overhears this and chastises Pablo for his feminine ways and the fact that he still hasn't married a woman. At a fancy event, we see Antonio with Aleks and another criminal compatriot, ANDREY. Meanwhile, Habib introduces Rachel to the Arab sheik MOHAMMED. Rachel gradually becomes aware that this is a purely sexual transaction and drinks excessively. But when Mohammed writes her a cheque, she goes up to his hotel room with him. Then, when he gets rough, she attempts to spurn his advances, only for him to brutally attack and forcibly sodomise her. In bed Anabelle tells Geoffrey about Natalia, and he grows intrigued.

Antonio picks Natalia up from her home, where she leaves her infant son ROMANOV, and her perpetually frustrated mother SVETLANA behind. Antonio then introduces Natalia to cocaine and they hook up again. Svetlana warns Natalia against going down this road, but the drugs and Antonio's bad-boy allure reel her in. Natalia gets the money for her professional photo shoot and Anabelle says she'll put her in touch with a proper representative -- Geoffrey. Meanwhile, Rachel finds out that she's been battered so severely that her nose is permanently damaged and she needs expensive plastic surgery to fix it. At an upscale hotel lounge, Natalia meets with TOBY, the arrogant Burberry designer, while, unbeknownst to her, Antonio and his goons spy on her as Antonio becomes fixated and possessive over her. Toby says that he wants to "take care" of Natalia and invites her up to his room. He's about to rape her, when Antonio bursts in. Shaken up, Natalia flees the hotel just before Antonio hurls Toby off the balcony, killing him.

Troubled, Natalia goes home and is confronted by her mother over her suspicions of what occurred. Natalia ignores her then goes into her room and does more cocaine before angrily smashing her own mirror, prompting little Romanov to wail. Geoffrey meets with Natalia and agrees to take her on as a client provided she do certain "favours" for him. Agreeing, Natalia signs an exclusive contract. Then, they promptly engage in frenetic sex. Furious, Rachel goes to Habib and confronts him over introducing her to the man that brutalised her. He's utterly ashamed, particularly when she then finds out he's married. Ultimately, Habib agrees to pay for her plastic surgery in an effort to make things right.

Antonio and Natalia talk about Natalia's father, who we learn was a Kremlin politician in Soviet Russia who stumbled upon a plan to rig the US elections. He went to his superiors to try and stop it, only to be fatally poisoned to prevent his whistleblowing. Antonio then proposes to Natalia with a beautiful diamond ring and she agrees. Rachel's nose is fixed by plastic surgery and she falls for Habib all over again. Cut to weeks later, and Antonio's marriage to Natalia has grown toxic due to her out of control drug use. Antonio leaves their flat only to be arrested by the police, who raid Natalia's home. All of Antonio's assets are seized and Natalia is rendered penniless. Lucinda's bulimia reaches an all time low -- she looks absolutely skeletal, but now finally seems pleased with her appearance. Pablo calls her to let her know he wants her to walk for Paris fashion week as he's finally been given a chance to display his own designs. Pablo calls Rachel to extend the same invite to her.

Natalia resorts to prostitution to make money, while also continuing to have sex with Geoffrey. But when she learns she's pregnant with Geoffrey's child, she confronts him with the truth. He tells her he wants the baby terminated, but Natalia refuses. Another talent agent, AMY, shows Natalia that it's stipulated in her contract that she cannot get pregnant during the course of her representation under Geoffrey. She also learns that she too has been given an opportunity to walk for Pablo during Paris Fashion week. As all three models converge on one fateful show, their separate dramas pose wrenching questions. Will Lucinda be able to overcome her eating disorder or find herself destroyed by it Will Rachel's new and improved facial structure wow the audience, or will her façade fall apart? And, most importantly, what is Natalia's secret ulterior motive to walk the runway, and how does it relate to her ultimate plan for revenge?