She was the daughter of Romanian immigrants. She spent her childhood years in Constanta, Romania before she moved to Paris. She traveled and painted for several years before discovering photography. Her work is described as erotic. In 1974 she exhibited some of her work at the Nikon Gallery in Paris and attracted lots of attention. She was soon published in numerous magazines and books,. A major part of Irina's work features lavishly dressed women, decked out in jewels, gloves, and other finery, but also adorning themselves with symbolic pieces such as chokers and other fetishistic props, posing provocatively, offering themselves partially disrobed as objects of sexual possession.