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r.i.p.
November 20, 2014

An Ode to the Duchess of Alba’s ‘Rebel Noble’ Style

By Erica Schwiegershausen

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Photo: Europa Press/Getty Images

The duchess of Alba, the richest woman in Spain, died today at the age of 88. The duchess (full name: Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart) was known for her many titles: According to the Guinness Book of World Records, she had more than any other aristocrat. But it was her eccentric sartorial sensibility and flamboyant spiritedness that truly distinguished her as a royal. In 1959, she hosted Yves Saint Laurent’s Dior runway show at her palace in Madrid. In 2011, she wore a pink dress to wed her third husband, Alfonso Diez Carabantes, a Spanish civil servant 25 years her junior. After the Seville ceremony, she kicked off her shoes and performed an impromptu flamenco dance.

Often characterized as a “rebel noble,” the duchess’s style was anything but prim. Rather, her aesthetic conveyed a childlike whimsicality: She was fond of barrettes, known to wear boldly patterned leggings, and generally gravitated toward bright colors. Her uniform was a dress paired with tights, flats, and sunglasses all of matching hues. She loved the beach and wore color-coordinated bikinis without giving a thought to her age. Her quirky indulgences — from feathered fascinators to green tights and anklets — were a model of dressing for oneself.

Click through the slideshow for a look back at the duchess’s self-assured, eccentric style.

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1 / 33 Photos
October 5, 2011 Where: At her wedding to Alfonso Diez in Seville. Photo: 2011 AFP
March 13, 2014  Photo: 2014 Europa Press
June 24, 2012  Photo: 2012 Europa Press
December 22, 2011  Photo: 2011 Europa Press
October 11, 2013  Photo: 2013 Europa Press
 September 25, 2011 Where: In Seville, Spain.  Photo: 2011 Europa Press
August 19, 2013  Photo: 2013 Europa Press
February 25, 1966  Where: In Madrid, Spain. 
October 23, 1998  Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
August 2, 2013  Photo: 2013 Europa Press
September 11, 1973  Where: In Málaga, Spain. 
January 11, 2014  Photo: 2014 Europa Press
Circa 2000  Where: In the gardens of the Liria Palace. 
January 23, 1961  Photo: © Corbis. All Rights Reserved.
Circa 1962 Where: At the celebration of Spain's 400th anniversary.  Photo: Time Life Pictures
November 29, 1968  Where: At the  Palacio de Liria in Madrid, Spain. 
April 23, 2012  Photo: 2012 Europa Press
August 10, 1973  Where: In the gardens of the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville, Spain. 
May 3, 2010  Where: In Madrid, Spain.  Photo: 2010 Europa Press
September 11, 1973  Where: In the gardens of the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville, Spain. 
Circa 1947   Photo: 2014 Getty Images
May 4, 2010 Where: In Madrid, Spain.  Photo: 2010 Getty Images
September 11, 1973  Where: In Marbella, Spain. 
December 16, 2011  Photo: 2011 Europa Press
August 5, 2013  Photo: 2013 Europa Press
Circa 2000  Where: In the Liria Palace. 
Circa 2000 Where: In the Liria Palace. 
May 4, 2011 Where: In Seville, Spain.  Photo: 2011 Europa Press
October 15, 2009 Where: In Seville, Spain.  Photo: 2009 Europa Press
April 4, 2010 Where: In Seville, Spain.  Photo: 2010 Europa Press
Circa 1978 Where: In the Palacio de Liria in Madrid, Spain. 
 March 22, 2011 Where: In Seville, Spain.  Photo: 2011 Europa Press
January 29, 2013  Photo: 2013 Europa Press
1 / 33

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  • style
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