European model Ruslana Korshunova fell to her death from her apartment building on Water Street, in Manhattan’s financial district, about 2.30pm on Saturday.

Originally from the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, the almond-eyed, flowing-haired Korshunova appeared in advertisements and on runways for such designers as Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci and DKNY. British Vogue hailed her as “a face to be excited about” in 2005.

Her break came when modelling booker Debbie Jones noticed her while reading an in-flight magazine article about Korshunova’s home town of Almaty, according to the Vogue report.

“She looked like something out of a fairytale,” Jones told the magazine. “We had to find her and we searched high and low until we did.”

A friend told The Post yesterday: “She’s one of the sweetest, nicest people you’ll ever meet.

“I’m still in shock. The world lost a great person.”

The friend said Korshunova had just returned from a modeling assignment in Paris and seemed to be “on top of the world”.