Donna Mathilda Mélusine dei Principi Ruspoli (born 25 July 1994), also known as Princess Melusine Ruspoli, is a French-born Italian socialite, model, and fashion influencer. She is the daughter of Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri and a member of the House of Ruspoli, an Italian noble family with close ties to the Vatican that was elevated into the Black nobility. Ruspoli made her modelling debut in 2014 as one of the faces of Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.'s Fiamma campaign. She made her runway debut for walking for Dolce & Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week in 2017.
| Princess Mélusine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 25 July 1994 Paris, France | ||||
| |||||
| House | Ruspoli | ||||
| Father | Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri | ||||
| Mother | Theresa Patricia Genest | ||||
| Occupation | model fashion influencer socialite | ||||
| Education | |||||
Family, early life, and education
editDonna Mathilda Mélusine dei Principi Ruspoli was born in Paris on 25 July 1994 to the Italian actor and aristocrat Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri and the French model Theresa Patricia Genest.[1][2] She is a member of the Ruspoli family, an Italian noble family that are also part of the Papal nobility and Black aristocracy.[3][4] Her father, who died in 2005, was the 9th Prince of Cerveteri, the 9th Marquess of Riano, the 14th Count of Vignanello, and a Prince of the Papal States.[5] She is the half-sister of Francesco Ruspoli, 10th Prince of Cerveteri and Tao Ruspoli.[5]
Ruspoli spent her childhood in Paris and at the family's palace in Rome, Palazzo Ruspoli, and at the family's castle in Vignanello, Castello Ruspoli.[2][6] In 2013, she was presented to society during Le Bal des Débutantes at the Hôtel Raphael.[7][8] She wore a pink floral tulle gown by Chanel for the occasion.[9]
She received her Baccalauréat at Lycée français Chateaubriand in Rome.[4][6] She studied fashion business at the Istituto Marangoni in London.[10]
Career
editRuspoli is represented by the talent management company Next Management.[11] In May 2014, Ruspoli was one of the faces of the Fiamma campaign for Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.[7][10] Later that year, she was photographed by Stefania Paparelli for W.[12]
Along with modelling, she was an intern at the Ferragamo advertising department.[7] In 2017, Ruspoli made her runway modelling debut walking in the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer show at Milan Fashion Week.[1][5] She walked again for Dolce & Gabbana in the brand's Secret Show.[5] She has also modelled for Chanel.[1][13]
In 2019, she modelled in a fashion spread for the magazine Mia Le Journal.[14][15] In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, fashion photographer Peppe Tortora used WhatsApp to photograph Ruspoli in quarantine at Castello Ruspoli, for a spread in Grey Magazine.[16] Later that year, she was named European It Girl of the Summer by Tatler.[1][17] Also in 2020, she modelled for Fendi in a campaign spread photographed by Leonardo Veloce.[18]
She is a fashion influencer on social media. In 2017, she had 17,000 followers on Instagram, gaining a large following during the pandemic.[19][5] As of 2023, she has 149,000 followers.[20]
Personal life
editRuspoli is a socialite and has sat at the front row during Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week at shows for Alberta Ferretti, Fendi, and Tod's.[1][5] She is considered part of the European jet set and is friends with Lady Kitty Spencer, Lady Amelia Windsor, Flora Ogilvy Vesterberg, and Chiara di Carcaci.[1][19]
In 2019, she attended the Animal Ball, a charity event in London that raises funds for conservation programmes in South Asia.[1] In 2017, she attended the launch party for Chanel's perfume Gabrielle.[21]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Italian Princess Melusine Ruspoli is the European It girl of the Summer". 23 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Bazaar people: 25 domande a Melusine Ruspoli". 5 March 2020.
- ^ "Pourquoi la princesse italienne Melusine Ruspoli est-elle la it-girl de l'été ?". 3 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "From Mia le Journal V issue: Mélusine Ruspoli (English version)". 24 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Melusine Ruspoli: Princesa, modelo e 'influencer' en la Milan Fashion Week". 24 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Melusine Ruspoli, princesse bohême - Bal des débutantes".
- ^ a b c "This is What It's Like to be a Teen Princess (And the Face of Ferragamo's New Campaign)". 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Italian Princess Melusine Ruspoli's Lavish Life is Basically Our Summer Goals".
- ^ "For the 2013 Ball, Italian princess Melusine Ruspoli chose a dress made by the house of Chanel".
- ^ a b "Roman's Holiday with Melusine Ruspoli". 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Next / Milan / Melusine Ruspoli".
- ^ "Melusine Ruspoli: Roman Holiday".
- ^ "MELUSINE RUSPOLI: THE TRIUMPH OF CHIC | Paris Social Diary".
- ^ "ALL STAR – Mélusine Ruspoli – MIA LE JOURNAL V – Mia le Journal – Fashion Magazine".
- ^ "Mia le Journal – Spring Summer Edition – Mia le Journal – Fashion Magazine".
- ^ "Princess Melusine Ruspoli confined in her own castle WhatsApp-Directed by Peppe Tortora!". 31 March 2020.
- ^ "Melusine Ruspoli è la It-girl dell'estate 2020 - Donnamoderna". 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Melusine Ruspoli x FENDI (CAP 74024)".
- ^ a b "Princess Melusine Ruspoli's home is literally a dream". 28 July 2020.
- ^ https://www.instagram.com/melusineruspoli/?hl=en
- ^ "Chanel's New Perfume "Gabrielle" Launch Party in Paris".