Tall Girl
Alena Sanaeva is an interior designer from the world of fashion. She has been working in interior design since 2014. Her studio specializes in both residential and commercial interiors.
Alena’s projects have been featured in ELLE DECOR and AD Interiors. She has received several professional awards and was included in the Architects and Designers of Russia collection.
Since 2020, Alena has served as an ambassador for Maison&Objet Paris. She is also a regular speaker at interior design conferences.
Alena’s very first design project was a dollhouse she created for her daughter, Veronika—a small project that became the beginning of a much larger design career.
Services
Design Project
1 month +
By Request
One-Day Mini Design Project
A 3-Hour Consultation + 3 spaces
4500$
One -Week Mini Design Project
A starting point for your entire interior
7500$
Speaker
Alena Sanaeva has given more than 200 expert talks and is a regular speaker at conferences and exhibitions. In 2022, she was admitted to CISSA, a speakers’ association that is part of the Global Speakers Federation. Alena is the creator and host of television programs, an event host for forums, conferences, award ceremonies, and shows, a judge at fashion and design competitions, and a facilitator of networking sessions.
Speaking Topics:
Networking
Essential Event Skills: Networking, Basic Etiquette, Posing for Photos, and Handling Impromptu Interviews
Humor as a Networking Tool
AI in Interior Design: How to сreate photorealistic images and videos as a designer or brand representative
Designing Your Vlog Backdrop: Secrets from TV productions
How to Create the Interior You’ve Always Dreamed Of
From Runway to Room: How Fashion Shapes Interior Design
Interior Design
Neuromarketing in Interior Design: How to influence customer decisions in commercial spaces, help prospective tenants and property buyers make decisions faster, and apply these principles when designing for private clients
Interior Design Trends: How Trend Forecasters Work, and How to Identify Microtrends and Macrotrends
Posing, Brand Ambassadorship, and Barter
Posing for Entrepreneurs: A Top Model’s Secrets to Enhancing Your Media Presence Through Posing and Appearance
How to Become a Brand Ambassador—and Best Practices for Brands Working with Ambassadors
Barter for Entrepreneurs: How Trading Goods and Services Can Benefit Your Business
Collaborations
When LG first approached me in 2016 to become a design ambassador for its new premium line of microwave ovens, I had no idea it would be the beginning of such a creative partnership. Over the years, my relationship with LG has grown beyond business into a genuine friendship. They remember my birthday, and surprise me with beautiful bouquets on holidays. And that's not even mentioning the home appliances — these days, I use LG products exclusively.
Here are some of the highlights of our collaboration:
LG Showroom at Hyatt Regency Moscow Petrovsky Park
Product Presentations
Exhibition Design and Seasonal Decorations
Factory Visit report video
LG Customer Service Test Drive video
Opening of LG's First Premium Boutique in Russia. My family and I were honored to be chosen to participate in the opening of LG's first premium boutique in Russia. The concept was especially creative: the entire boutique became our imaginary family home, and we invited guests on a tour of our everyday life with LG technology.
As a designer, I introduced the computers and explained how I use them in my creative work. Together, my daughter and I also baked cupcakes using LG microwave ovens. My husband, a film director, presented LG OLED televisions. My mother-in-law demonstrated and innovative garment care systems.
Featured in a Book About LG. One of the most meaningful moments of our collaboration was being mentioned by Tatyana Shakhnes, a senior LG Russia executive, in her book Born with the Industry, where she reflected on our collaborative projects.
In 2020, Alena Sanaeva had the honor of being appointed Russian Ambassador for Maison&Objet, the prestigious international design exhibition in Paris.
Her role includes attending the exhibition, leading guided tours for delegations of designers and media, organizing lectures on Maison&Objet, and fostering professional connections within design community.
To celebrate the launch of a new collection designed by Karim Rashid for Cisal, the brand invited Russian interior designers including Alena Sanaeva to participate in a unique fashion show. Dressed in traditional Russian costumes, elaborate kokoshnik headdresses, and richly embroidered gowns, the designers took to the runway holding Cisal faucets.
Media and Awars
Alena Sanaeva is an interior designer with extensive experience in television and media. She has appeared on six television design shows (watch in section TV Projects) and created her own interior design segment for a morning TV program in Russia.
Her work has been featured in over 20 media publications, including ELLE DECOR and Architectural Digest.
In 2022, she was recognized among Russia’s Golden 100 Designers, with her work featured in the annual almanac Designers and Architects of Russia. She is a member of the Union of Designers and Architects (UNION DA) and an expert with the Home Staging Club. In 2017, she received a Design Award in the Design Innovator category.
Alena is also a member of CISSA, a professional speakers’ association affiliated with the Global Speakers Federation. She regularly participates in major international interior design exhibitions.
Fashion
Muse
Alena Sanaeva — A Muse for Writers, Artists & Designers
1. The muse and the main character
Alena’s husband, acclaimed writer Pavel Sanaev, dedicated his books to her and drew inspiration from her appearance when describing the female protagonist of his novels. The book “Chronicles of a Slacker” was ranked among the Top 5 annual bestsellers by Forbes Russia and inspired theatrical adaptations staged internationally.
When writer Vladimir Vera came across Alena’s photograph on social media, he immediately exclaimed, “There she is — the heroine of my book! You have to be on the cover!”
He commissioned artist Olga Tumanova to create a painting based on Alena’s likeness for the book cover.
2. The Face of a Literary Heroine
Tatiana Shakhnes, an LG executive, shared her experience of working with Alena Sanaeva on various projects for the LG brand in the second edition of her book Born with the Industry.
3. Featured in a book
4. A Muse for a Fashion Designer
French-born designer Isabel Fernandez, based in Portugal, met Alena Sanaeva at Fashion Week and told her, “Alena, I would love to create a collection for you.”
Taking only Alena’s measurements, the designer secretly developed an entire collection without asking for her preferences, relying solely on her own creative vision of what would suit Alena best.
In 2025, she surprised Alena with a personalized collection featuring a coat, a dress, a skirt, and a blouse.
Inspired to continue their collaboration, Isabel created a second exclusive collection in 2026 and shipped it from Portugal to the United States. This time, the collection included dresses, skirts, a T-shirt, a shirt, and a scarf.
5. A Restaurateur’s Muse
During a photoshoot on the streets of Porto, Portugal, Alena Sanaeva caught the attention of a local restaurateur who happened to witness the shoot. Inspired by her image, he expressed his desire to display portraits from the photoshoot throughout his restaurant chain. The encounter led to an agreement to organize an additional photoshoot specifically for the restaurants.
When Pavel Zemskov, a Russian artist based in Germany, came across a photograph of Alena on social media, it sparked an idea for an art project. He reached out to her with a proposal: to spend an entire year painting portraits of her from her photographs, exploring different artistic styles, and to hold an exhibition at the end of the year.
6. A Muse for Contemporary Artists
Other artists:
Indian photographic artist Yash creates new artworks inspired by Alena Sanaeva, producing photographic interpretations of her image on a weekly basis.
7. Alena Sanaeva Fan Club
In 2026, photographer Daniel Viza Chavez approached Alena Sanaeva with an idea: he wanted to establish an official fan club dedicated to her and become its president. Alena welcomed the initiative, and Daniel went on to launch three fan club pages across Instagram, Patreon, and Telegram.
Alena Sanaeva performs stand-up comedy.
She won first place in javelin throwing at her college.
Alena doesn't drive, yet she lives in Los Angeles.
Because Alena looks so young, people often mistake her for a beginner in interior design and offer her unsolicited design advice.
At 6’ tall, Alena has been fielding questions about her height for years. “Do you play basketball or volleyball?” “Are you a model?” But the most original question came from someone in Paris: “Is the air cleaner up there?”
Fun Facts about Tall Girl
In Russia, there are a lot of kinds of teasing nicknames for tall people. For example, a tall woman might hear, “Hey, lady, can you reach up and grab that sparrow?”
That’s actually a reason I chose a hummingbird for the logo of my brand, Tall Girl Interiors. These tiny birds often fly right at my eye level, hovering around tall flowers like birds of paradise.
I still can't quite get used to seeing hummingbirds in America. I haven't lived here for very long, and every time I see one, it feels a little magical. For me, the hummingbird has become a symbol of hope and new beginnings in America.
