For over four decades, the identity of the enigmatic woman gracing the cover of Duran Duran’s 1982 album ‘Rio’ remained one of pop culture’s enduring mysteries. This striking image, created by the late artist Patrick Nagel, has now been definitively linked to a real-life muse. Through meticulous research by Nagel historian and art broker Monica Moynihan, and with confirmation from Nagel expert Mark Walker, it has been revealed that the model is Marcie Hunt, a name previously unknown to Duran Duran fans and the broader public alike.
In a recent Instagram post, Moynihan shared that the reference photo for the album cover was sourced from a February 1981 issue of Vogue Paris. Walker, while perusing vintage fashion magazines, stumbled upon an editorial spread featuring Hunt. Despite the model wearing glasses in the magazine photo, her distinctive smile and eyes matched those immortalized on the ‘Rio’ cover.
Walker described his realization with palpable excitement, stating, “I saw that smile. I saw those eyes, those eyes that I’d stared at hundreds of times by this point in my life, hundreds if not thousands of times. I’ve been entranced by this magical woman for over 40 years.
I knew it was her.” A post shared by Duran Duran (@duranduran) Further corroboration came from Barry Kahn, Patrick Nagel’s former technical art assistant, who confirmed Hunt as the model, praising Walker’s discovery as a “great catch.” Marcie Hunt, now a winery owner in Napa, Ca.