Athina Onassis, the 40-year-old “Golden Heiress,” made a rare and striking public appearance on Tuesday, January 27, attending Paris Haute Couture Week.
Maintaining her reputation for living away from the media spotlight, Onassis attended the Stéphane Rolland show held at the historic Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione.
She debuted a new look on the red carpet, sporting dark brunette hair styled with elegant volume. For the occasion, she chose a sophisticated black midi dress featuring a built-in cape, paired with matching black heels.
Η #Αθηνά #Ωνάση σε σπάνια εμφάνιση με εντυπωσιακό #μαύρο cape dress στην Haute Couture Weekhttps://t.co/e9LeS1NzKy
— bovary (@bovarygr) January 28, 2026
Following the show, Onassis was photographed smiling alongside international model Platon Papagiannopoulos, a moment that quickly circulated on social media.
This appearance marks a subtle return to the social circuit for the granddaughter of Aristotle Onassis. After a three-year hiatus, she resurfaced last March at a Pompidou Center charity event, followed by an appearance in July at the prestigious Bal d’Été, curated by Sofia Coppola. Sources suggest she currently divides her time between quiet towns in the Netherlands and Belgium, focusing on her lifelong passion for equestrian sports.
Athina Onassis: The life of the “Golden Heiress”
Athina Onassis is the only surviving descendant of the legendary Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Her life has been defined by immense wealth shadowed by profound family tragedy, leading her to adopt a deeply private lifestyle.
A tragic family legacy
Athina is the daughter of Christina Onassis and French pharmaceutical heir Thierry Roussel. She lost her mother at the age of three, after which she was raised in Switzerland by her father and his second wife. As the sole heir to the Onassis fortune, she inherited a complex legacy that included a multi-billion dollar estate and the private island of Skorpios (which she eventually leased/sold to a Russian oligarch in 2013).
The equestrian professional
Unlike her grandfather, who thrived on public grandiosity, Athina found her sanctuary in the world of professional show jumping. She is a competitive equestrian and has represented Greece in various international championships. Her life in the Netherlands and Belgium is largely centered around her stables and the equestrian circuit, which provides a level of anonymity she clearly prizes.
A distance from Greece
For many years, Athina’s relationship with her Greek heritage has been described as “distant.” Legal battles with the managers of the Onassis Foundation during her youth and her upbringing in Northern Europe contributed to a disconnect from the Greek public. However, her recent appearances at high-profile cultural and philanthropic events in France suggest a newfound comfort with her public-facing role.
Personal life
Her decade-long marriage to Brazilian Olympic rider Álvaro de Miranda Neto ended in a highly publicized divorce in 2016. Since then, she has retreated even further from the paparazzi, making her recent appearances in Paris all the more significant for fashion and society observers.
Related: The Reclusive Heiress: Athina Onassis at 40
