Duran Duran’s Rio album cover model has been identified after 42 years. The mystery behind one of the most iconic album covers of the ’80s has finally been solved. Fans have long speculated about the inspiration for illustrator Patrick Nagel’s artwork for Duran Duran’s Rio, and it has been revealed that the model is Marcie Hunt.
In a recent Instagram post, Patrick Nagel historian and art broker Monica Moynihan shared that the fan account @nagel_angel had spent a significant amount of time researching the reference photo for the album cover. It was discovered that the image was taken from a 1981 issue of Vogue Paris.
“Patrick Nagel fans, today we publicly reveal Duran Duran’s Rio May 1982 album cover image source from Vogue Paris, February 1981,” Moynihan wrote. Duran Duran themselves joined in the celebration by reposting the discovery.
Marcie Hunt, the model behind the iconic cover, had reportedly retired from modeling to live a more private life. She commented on Duran Duran’s repost, expressing her surprise at learning that her Vogue editorial shoot had been used as a reference for the cover.
In her own Instagram post, Hunt thanked the illustrator of the album cover, Patrick Nagel, who has since passed away, as well as Barry Hahn, Nagel’s technical assistant, who confirmed the inspiration behind the cover.
This year, Duran Duran have been performing at various festivals, including sharing songs from their upcoming 2023 album at Cruel World. They are also scheduled to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July. The band continues to captivate audiences with their music, decades after the release of their iconic Rio album.