Sita Abellan
Mark Hunter
Sita Abellán — the 23-year-old model/DJ/designer born Maria Abellán, who hails from the sleepy Spanish town of Murica — is a self-described Techno Princess. “It’s a definition I created to remind myself not to put a limit on my creativity or my passions,” Abellán explains to Billboard.
What began as a teenage model-turned-DJ career led to huge opportunities fueled by Abellán’s flair for house music and singular fashion sense. As a DJ, she’s spun at legendary nightlife spots around the world, played festivals like L.A.’s Hard Fest, and has even scored a residency at New York club Provocateur. The young musician counts electronic acts Nicole Moudaber, Japan’s A. Mochi and German industrial genre-crosser Phase Fatale as her inspirations.
As a model, Abellán is represented by New York agency Wilhelmina and has over 251,000 Instagram followers. The social-media platform showcases her personal avant garde style courtesy of the underground designers she loves to rock: Mimi Wade, Palomo Spain and Dilara Findikoglu, who is also worn by Rihanna.
Instagram is also where the Barbadian pop star found Abellán while searching for models to play stylish henchwomen in her critically acclaimed “Bitch Better Have My Money” video in 2015.
“Working with Rihanna was awesome. She has a creative, strong mind and knows clearly what she wants,” Abellán said of the video shoot. “The team was amazing — I had a lot of fun participating and seeing how each person played their role in the video. It was very inspiring.”
With the #BBHMM Rihanna co-sign under her belt, Abellán continued to thrive as an influencer in the fashion and music worlds. She walks for brands like Fenty x Puma and Faust Puglisi at Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, respectively; she’s tight with designers like Jeremy Scott; and she models with brands like Adidas and Jeffrey Campbell.
Abellán has also tacked fashion designer and stylist to her repertoire. She collaborated with Warsaw-based label MISBHV on a capsule collection that debuted at New York Fashion Week in September. The capsule collection, titled Pain, is a sexy, gemstone-filled wardrobe fit for a motorcycle girl gang inspired by Abellán’s trip to Japan. “I was impressed by the mixture of tradition and modernity of Tokyo, this blend of nostalgia and new,” the newly minted designer explains of her debut. “The strongest look is a kimono with matching gloves and cap.”
Following her foray into design, she styled a glitchy, surrealist video for Nike’s campaign #WeBelieveInThePowerOfLove that debuted in February 2017. Directed by Luca Finotti, the video features a diverse cast of lovers wearing fashionable sportswear in fresh ensembles and a brand-new sneaker design by Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, the New Dun Lux Chukka.
As 2017 unfolds, the multi-hyphenate dreams big for her future. “I for sure want to do another capsule collection [this year], and I’m planning to release more of my own music,” she tells Billboard. “Sooner or later, I’d like to be a creative director for my very own brand.”