Nati Abascal
Encyclopedia
Natividad Abascal y Romero-Toro (natiβiˈðað aβaˈskal i roˈmeɾo ˈtoɾo) (formerly, The Duchess of Feria; born 2 April 1943, in Seville
, Spain
), more commonly known as Nati Abascal (ˈnati aβaˈskal), is a Spanish
socialite
and a former fashion model. She is also a member of the International Best Dressed List
since 1984.
photographed them in Ibiza
later in 1964 for his 'The Iberians (The Blaze in Spain)' editorial in Harper's Bazaar. By 1965 Abascal was on the cover of this publication in another photograph signed by Avedon. After this, her modeling career took off and she fixed her residence in New York.
Among others, she worked for Oscar de la Renta from his very early days- in fact they met while he was still working for Elizabeth Arden- and became great friends, a friendship that lasts to the present day.
Designer Valentino met Abascal in 1968 at a party when she was 25 years old. By then, she had already been working as a model in New York for at least 3 years and had a full-time contract with Ford model agency; years later she would also be employed by Wilhelmina model agency. Valentino brought her to the island of Capri
for modeling shoots and, ever since, they've remained close friends.
In 1971 Abascal married Murray Livingston Smith, a Formula One
pilot and the Vice-President of an advertising agency. They met at Cartier in NYC and a few months later Smith sent a red Ferrari to her house with a note saying "Marry me". They did but split up in 1975.
In 1971 she also had a short role within Woody Allen
's 1971 film "Bananas"
as the guerrilla girl Yolanda and in this same year she posed naked for Playboy magazine.
In 1974 she made a 'commercial/happening' for Alka-Seltzer with Salvador Dalí
which was seen as "too aggressive" by certain viewers. Dali was shown pretending to stab Naty with some paint brushes, at the same time as he painted her body. The commercial was not particularly successful and was taken back from public view quite quickly.
Towards the end of 1975 she returned to her home in Seville (Spain). She reunited with an ex-boyfriend from her teenage years, Rafael Medina y Fernandez de Cordoba, Duke of Feria and Marquis of Villalba and they married in July 1977 and had two sons: Rafael, born on 25 September 1978, who is the present Duke of Feria, and Luis, born on 30 August 1980.
At the beginning of the 1980s, and well after having left the fashion world, she jumped again on the catwalks for her friend Carolina Herrera's first collection. It would be her last catwalk show. In 1982, several years after having left the fashion world, Norman Parkinson
decided to portray her. In 1984 she presented Oscar de la Renta's collection to the Spanish media and in 1987 Lord Snowdon also photographed her in Seville.
Naty and Rafael Medina split up in 1989 and divorced in unfriendly terms.
Rafael died on 9 August 2001 after some troublesome last years.
Abascal is known as one of Valentino Garavani's Spanish muses and she's also closely connected to Oscar de la Renta
and Carolina Herrera
, among other designers. She is still actively working both as a stylist for Hola! magazine and for Mango as a fashion advisor.
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), more commonly known as Nati Abascal (ˈnati aβaˈskal), is a Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and a former fashion model. She is also a member of the International Best Dressed List
International Best Dressed List
The International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time.People who have been on the list include from A to Z:-The International Hall of Fame: Women:...
since 1984.
Biography
Her modeling career started when Spanish fashion designer Elio Berhanyer asked both her and her twin sister Ana Maria to model some of his designs for the International Exhibition in New York in 1964. Richard AvedonRichard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
photographed them in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
later in 1964 for his 'The Iberians (The Blaze in Spain)' editorial in Harper's Bazaar. By 1965 Abascal was on the cover of this publication in another photograph signed by Avedon. After this, her modeling career took off and she fixed her residence in New York.
Among others, she worked for Oscar de la Renta from his very early days- in fact they met while he was still working for Elizabeth Arden- and became great friends, a friendship that lasts to the present day.
Designer Valentino met Abascal in 1968 at a party when she was 25 years old. By then, she had already been working as a model in New York for at least 3 years and had a full-time contract with Ford model agency; years later she would also be employed by Wilhelmina model agency. Valentino brought her to the island of Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
for modeling shoots and, ever since, they've remained close friends.
In 1971 Abascal married Murray Livingston Smith, a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
pilot and the Vice-President of an advertising agency. They met at Cartier in NYC and a few months later Smith sent a red Ferrari to her house with a note saying "Marry me". They did but split up in 1975.
In 1971 she also had a short role within Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's 1971 film "Bananas"
Bananas (film)
Bananas is a 1971 comedy film written by Mickey Rose and Woody Allen, directed by Allen, and starring himself and Louise Lasser. Parts of the plot were based on the book Don Quixote, U.S.A. by Richard P. Powell. It was filmed on location in New York City, Lima , and various locations in Puerto...
as the guerrilla girl Yolanda and in this same year she posed naked for Playboy magazine.
In 1974 she made a 'commercial/happening' for Alka-Seltzer with Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
which was seen as "too aggressive" by certain viewers. Dali was shown pretending to stab Naty with some paint brushes, at the same time as he painted her body. The commercial was not particularly successful and was taken back from public view quite quickly.
Towards the end of 1975 she returned to her home in Seville (Spain). She reunited with an ex-boyfriend from her teenage years, Rafael Medina y Fernandez de Cordoba, Duke of Feria and Marquis of Villalba and they married in July 1977 and had two sons: Rafael, born on 25 September 1978, who is the present Duke of Feria, and Luis, born on 30 August 1980.
At the beginning of the 1980s, and well after having left the fashion world, she jumped again on the catwalks for her friend Carolina Herrera's first collection. It would be her last catwalk show. In 1982, several years after having left the fashion world, Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson, CBE was a celebrated English portrait and fashion photographer.-Biography:Parkinson was born in London, and educated at Westminster School. He began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers Speaight and Sons Ltd...
decided to portray her. In 1984 she presented Oscar de la Renta's collection to the Spanish media and in 1987 Lord Snowdon also photographed her in Seville.
Naty and Rafael Medina split up in 1989 and divorced in unfriendly terms.
Rafael died on 9 August 2001 after some troublesome last years.
Abascal is known as one of Valentino Garavani's Spanish muses and she's also closely connected to Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta is one of the world's leading fashion designers. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1973.-Career:...
and Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera (fashion designer)
Carolina Herrera Carolina Herrera Carolina Herrera (born María Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño (born January 8, 1939) is a Venezuelan and naturalized American fashion designer and entrepreneur who founded her eponymous company in 1980.-Early life:...
, among other designers. She is still actively working both as a stylist for Hola! magazine and for Mango as a fashion advisor.
Styles from birth
- Ms. Natividad Abascal y Romero-Toro (1943–1971)
- Mrs. Murray Livignston Smith (1971–1975)
- Mrs. Natividad Abascal y Romero-Toro (1975–1977)
- The Most ExcellentThe Most ExcellentThe Most Excellent is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in Spain and certain Spanish-speaking countries...
The Duchess of Feria (1977–1989) - Mrs. Natividad Abascal y Romero-Toro (1989-)