Spanish fashion muse with Picasso-esque beauty picks up award in Malaga

Artistic integrity and her fearless individual style made the Spanish actress Rossy de Palma an influential figure in the fashion world. Thanks to her unique 'Picasso-esque' facial features and her self-confidence, she has become a muse for avant-garde French and British designers who were keen to reject traditional standards of beauty.

Rossy de Palma's path to the world of fashion was through cinema. In 1986, Pedro Almodóvar met Rossy, then the lead singer of a band from Mallorca, in a Madrid café. The future renowned director was immediately captivated by the cubist beauty of the 22-year-old girl. When Almodóvar discovered her unconventional power and enormous individuality, Rossy could not help but become the director's muse.

The friendship between actress Rossy de Palma and Jean Paul Gaultier began in the early 1990s. Creative collaboration between Pedro Almodóvar and the progressive French couturier took place in 1993 for the film Kika, which starred Rossy de Palma as well. Jean-Paul was captivated by her striking and unique features. Since then, the actress has been Gaultier's muse, and the couturier regularly invites her to participate in his fashion shows and advertising campaigns.

Later, Rossy de Palma met British designer Alexander McQueen, whom she admired. This happened thanks to her close friendship with Miguel Adrover and Sebastián Pons (like De Palma, they are from Mallorca) who were McQueen's friends and assistants at Givenchy.

The actress recalls: “I have always been a big fan of Alexander McQueen and I was lucky enough to walk the runway in his designs.” The British designer invited Rossy to his first Givenchy haute couture show in Paris in 1996.

In an interview, Rossy de Palma described Alexander McQueen as a highly creative individual who was passionate about his work. “When I met him at Givenchy, he was still quite young, but it was already clear that he would become 'a monstruito' (a phenomenon). Sometimes you see people who are more into vanity, people who you can see have talent but who also really like fame. Alexander was clearly crazy about the world of fashion”

Incidentally, Rossy de Palma was also a muse for another British designer. John Galliano adored her. Moreover, the actress was the inspiration for Galliano's haute couture show for Dior Spring-Summer 2008.

Rossy recalls: "At the end of 2007, John Galliano called me to invite me to his spring 2008 show, as I was the direct source of inspiration for a significant part of this collection. Of course, I was surprised and very flattered, and exclaimed: "The great inspirationalist taking inspiration from me!"

The show was a great and pleasant experience for Rossy de Palama and after it finished she went backstage to greet the designer. There she noticed that many of the panels next to the photos and names of the models with their runway numbers featured photos of the actress, who served as a reference and source of inspiration. After the show, John Galliano (a native of Gibraltar) asked Rossy in his Andalusian Spanish if she liked the collection and emphasised once again that the show was created for her with all his heart.

Incidentally, Rossy de Palma also served as inspiration for the Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Alaia. The actress personified his vision of a strong, unique feminine style. So she was often seen in the company of the designer and wearing his iconic creations.

Additionally, Rossy de Palma has special connections with Thierry Mugler and Sybilla. She has collaborated with brands such as Saint Laurent, Gap, Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin, and was also chosen as the ambassador for Citroën C5 Aircross in Spain. It is also worth noting that Rossy de Palma has always been connected to the world of design thanks to her passion for sewing, which she used to create and reimagine all her looks.