Águeda López is a Spanish model, presenter, business owner, and author born in Hornachuelos, in the province of Córdoba, Spain. She began her career as a classical dancer until the age of 13. She branched out over the years, studying journalism in Madrid while participating in beauty pageants, becoming a finalist in Miss Spain in 2000.
During her childhood, Águeda was a victim of bullying in her hometown. In the podcast “Cara a Cara with Rodner Figueroa,” she revealed that her big dreams stirred controversy in her immediate environment. “Being from a small town, I literally grew up surrounded by animals and orange groves and that kind of thing. Whoever was born there stayed there, and if you were the baker’s child, you were going to be a baker. Very few people left the town; my dream was to walk the runway in Paris,” she said.
In the same podcast, Águeda shared that she was bullied from the age of 8 through 16, until she moved to another city, in Toledo. Negative comments, aggressive notes, humiliations, and even physical assaults were some of the things that Águeda endured in her town.
Despite the difficulties, she never abandoned her dream. In fact, she took refuge in it, firmly believing in her convictions and desires. Years later, modeling became her way of life, and she left her native Spain to head to Miami, where she signed with the Caroline Gleason agency. Little by little, she began to make a name for herself in the competitive industry of the US, participating in fashion shows like Miami Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and appearing on the covers of magazines like Vogue and ¡HOLA!.
Águeda López once said “You always have to have certainty in yourself, confidence that you can make your dreams come true, and keep fighting for that day by day.” In the midst of her modeling career in the United States, Águeda met Luis Fonsi and fell in love with him. The couple met in 2010 during a photo shoot, where mutual friends introduced them. Since then, they became inseparable, and on September 10, they got married at a vineyard in Napa Valley, California, with their two-year-old daughter Mikaela as a witness.
On December 20, 2010, the couple welcomed their second child, Rocco, who was born on the same day as his older sister, Mikaela, making every December 20 a special day for the family’s household. Alongside her role as a mother, wife, and model, Águeda López launched her children’s clothing line, MIKABOO, inspired by her daughter.
In the summer of 2025, Águeda debuted as a book author with the publication of “La niña que siempre miraba al sol,” a story inspired by her own childhood experiences, bullying, and dreams.
Águeda López on La Mesa Caliente said “I dared to tell this story, I narrated it, I wrote it in the third person because I think that, like me, and there are people who have gone through uncomfortable situations in their childhood, in their adolescence. Who doesn’t have dreams that they still haven’t fulfilled?”
When it comes to her future, Águeda López wants to go beyond modeling and everything she has built on the runway. “I imagine the future as an authentic, creative path full of purpose. I see myself writing more, creating spaces of genuine connection with other women, and sharing stories that inspire and heal. But above all, I see myself living with intention, enjoying each stage of life with awareness, curiosity, and gratitude,” she said in an interview with Vogue. She has written the book ‘The girl who always looked at the sun’
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Águeda López – an exceptionally talented and accomplished internationally acclaimed Spanish fashion model, presenter, business owner, and author. Here she talks about remarkable journey—her career, her book, her fitness regime and her future vision.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today, Águeda. You are currently celebrating the release of your debut book, La niña que siempre miraba al sol, and you have a beautiful family and a thriving career. We are so excited to dive into your journey.”
Namita Nayyar:
In La niña que siempre miraba al sol, you tell a story inspired by your own childhood, specifically the bullying you endured. You have mentioned that you wrote it in the third person so readers could see themselves in the protagonist, Alma. Was it therapeutic to write this story, or was it a more challenging process to revisit those years from ages 8 to 16?
Águeda López:
It was both therapeutic and challenging. When you revisit experiences from childhood as an adult, you see them through completely different eyes. There were memories I thought I had left behind that suddenly felt very vivid again.
Writing in the third person gave me a certain emotional distance. Alma is inspired by my experiences, but I wanted her to belong to everyone. I didn’t want readers to simply read “Águeda’s story.” I wanted someone who had ever felt different, excluded, misunderstood, or underestimated to recognize a part of them in her.
In that sense, writing the book became very healing. I was able to look at that little girl with much more compassion than I probably had for myself at the time. And I realized that some of the experiences that hurt me the most also helped shape my resilience.
Namita Nayyar:
Alma chooses to keep looking at the sun—her dreams—despite the darkness around her. What advice would you give to a child or teenager currently experiencing bullying?
Águeda López:
I would tell them: what other people say about you does not define who you are or who you are going to become.
When you’re young, your world can feel very small. If you’re being bullied at school, it can seem as though that environment is your entire reality. But it isn’t. Life is so much bigger than the classroom you’re sitting in today.
Ask for help. Speak to your parents, your teachers, or an adult you trust. Don’t carry it alone. And most importantly, protect that little voice inside you that tells you who you are and what you dream of becoming.
Keep looking at your sun. Your current circumstances are a chapter; they are not the whole story.
Namita Nayyar:
How did you maintain certainty in your dreams when you were a young girl in Hornachuelos surrounded by people who didn’t necessarily believe in them?
Águeda López:
I think I was born with a very powerful imagination. I grew up in a small town in Córdoba, but in my mind the world was enormous.
I dreamed about fashion, Paris, traveling, creating things, and having a life that was very different from the one I could physically see around me. I didn’t have evidence that any of those things would happen. I simply had this strange certainty inside me that there was more waiting for me.
Of course I had doubts and fears, but my dreams were always stronger.
I’ve learned that sometimes you have to believe in something long before there is any evidence that it is possible. You take one small step, then another, and eventually you look back and realize those small steps created an entirely different life.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President of womenfitness.net, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or in full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2026 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
You have a background in journalism. Did that education help when you decided to write your own story?
Águeda López:
Definitely, although writing a novel requires a very different kind of creativity.
Journalism teaches you discipline observation, curiosity, and the importance of understanding people and their stories. All of that helped me tremendously.
But fiction asks you to surrender more. You have to create atmosphere, emotion, characters and silence. Sometimes what a character doesn’t say is as important as what she says.
Writing La niña que siempre miraba al sol allowed me to combine those two sides of myself: the observer and the dreamer.
Namita Nayyar:
What was the biggest cultural or professional shock when you moved from Spain to Miami and entered the US market?
Águeda López:
Starting again.
When you move to another country, whatever you have accomplished somewhere else doesn’t necessarily travel with you. You have to introduce yourself again, prove yourself again and learn a completely different professional culture.
Miami was also fascinating because it was a meeting point between Latin America, the United States and Europe. I had to adapt while still protecting the things that made me who I was.
Eventually I understood that being Spanish, being European, and having my own story wasn’t something I needed to change. It was actually part of what differentiated me.
Namita Nayyar:
You started as a classical dancer, transitioned to modeling, and are now an author and businesswoman. How do these different aspects of your career connect?
Águeda López:
For me, they all come from the same place: creativity.
Classical dance taught me discipline and how to communicate through movement. Modeling taught me how to tell a story through an image. Writing allows me to communicate through words. And entrepreneurship gives me the opportunity to transform ideas into something tangible.
The medium changes, but the need to create has always been there.
I also think women sometimes feel pressure to define themselves by one profession or one chapter. I don’t believe we have to. We can evolve. We can be curious. We can reinvent ourselves many times throughout our lives.
Namita Nayyar:
Was it difficult balancing a new high-profile relationship with Luis Fonsi and your career?
Águeda López:
Of course there were adjustments. When two people have demanding careers, travel constantly and live part of their lives publicly, you have to learn very quickly what belongs to the outside world and what belongs only to you.
From the beginning, it was important for both of us to support each other’s careers while protecting our relationship and, later, our family.
I think the key has always been respect for each other’s individuality. We are partners, but we are also two people with our own dreams and professional identities.
Over the years, we’ve learned that the most important part of our life happens when the cameras are gone and we’re simply at home with our children.
Namita Nayyar:
How has motherhood changed your perspective on your career and ambitions?
Águeda López:
Motherhood changed everything, especially my relationship with time.
Before having children, ambition can be very individual: What do I want to accomplish? Where do I want to go next? After becoming a mother, every decision becomes part of a bigger picture.
I still have dreams—and probably more than ever—but I’m much more intentional about which opportunities deserve my time.
My children have also made me more creative. They remind me to be curious and playful and not to take everything so seriously. Many ideas I’ve had over the years, including projects related to children and writing, were influenced by seeing the world through their eyes.
Success for me today isn’t simply doing more. It’s being able to continue growing professionally while being truly present for the people I love.
Namita Nayyar:
How has your fitness routine evolved as you’ve gotten older and become a mother?
Águeda López:
My relationship with exercise has changed enormously. When I was younger and modeling constantly, exercise was often connected to appearance. Today it’s much more connected to longevity, strength, energy and mental health.
I usually train 6 times a week and combine strength training with cardio and mobility. Strength training has become increasingly important to me as I’ve gotten older because maintaining muscle is fundamental for healthy aging.
My goal isn’t simply to look fit. I want to be strong, energetic and independent for as many years as possible.
Namita Nayyar:
What is your philosophy on food and nutrition?
Águeda López:
I grew up in Spain, so the Mediterranean way of eating feels very natural to me rather than something I consciously decided to follow.
I love simple, real food: high quality protein, vegetables, fish, eggs, good olive oil… I try to prioritize protein because it’s increasingly important as we age, especially when you train.
But I don’t believe in living with constant restriction. Food is also culture, family and pleasure. Some of my happiest memories involve sitting around a table with people I love.
For me, health has to be sustainable. If your way of eating makes you miserable or afraid of food, I don’t think that’s true wellness.
Namita Nayyar:
What is your non-negotiable skincare routine?
Águeda López:
Consistency is more important than having twenty products.
I love science-backed skincare and I’m very interested in ingredients that support collagen, skin quality and healthy aging.
I’m also very conscious of something that has become increasingly important to me over the years: our circadian rhythm. I try to align my habits with it as much as possible, because I truly believe the skin—and the entire body—regenerates more efficiently when we are in sync with our natural biological clock.
At night, our body is designed to shift into repair mode. Melatonin rises, cortisol naturally decreases, and processes like cellular regeneration, detoxification and collagen repair become more active. But when we disrupt that rhythm—by staying up late, exposing ourselves to artificial light, or eating late—we interfere with those restorative hormonal cycles.
That’s why I try not to eat late at night, especially after the sun has gone down. From a metabolic perspective, late-night eating can keep insulin and digestion active at a time when the body should be resting. It can also affect sleep quality, and poor sleep directly impacts cortisol levels, inflammation, and even how the skin behaves the next day.
I’ve noticed that when I respect this rhythm—when I eat earlier, sleep better, and allow my body to truly rest—my skin looks calmer, more luminous, and more resilient. It’s not just aesthetics; it’s physiology.
For me, beauty is not just what you apply on the outside, but how harmoniously you live in alignment with your body’s natural intelligence.
Namita Nayyar:
What is your secret to maintaining healthy hair despite styling?
Águeda López:
I try to treat my hair the same way I treat my skin: prevention is easier than repair.
Because my work involves so much styling, heat and products, when I’m not working I try to give my hair a break. I use masks and conditioning treatments, protect it from excessive heat and try not to manipulate it unnecessarily.
Nutrition also makes an enormous difference. Healthy hair isn’t only created with products; it’s influenced by what is happening inside your body as well.
And sometimes the best beauty treatment is simply leaving your hair alone for a few days!
Namita Nayyar:
If you had to give one ultimate beauty tip that goes beyond makeup and skincare, what would it be?
Águeda López:
Protect your energy.
You can have beautiful skin, perfect makeup and an incredible dress, but if you’re exhausted, unhappy or disconnected from yourself, eventually it shows.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that beauty is deeply connected to how you live. Sleep, movement, nutrition, purpose, love, spirituality, curiosity and the people you surround yourself with all affect how you look and how you feel.
There is something incredibly beautiful about a woman who feels peaceful in her own skin.
Namita Nayyar:
You told Vogue that you see your future as “an authentic, creative path full of purpose.” Now that you’ve published your first book, what’s next?
Águeda López:
Writing opened a door that I don’t think I can close anymore.
I’m already thinking about the next stories I want to tell. My first book was deeply connected to childhood, identity, resilience and learning to believe in yourself. I’m very interested in continuing to explore women’s lives—our transformations, our fears, our strength, and the moments when we have to reinvent ourselves.
I also want the next stage of my career to feel intentional. At this point in my life, I’m less interested in doing something simply because I can and much more interested in asking: Why am I doing this? What am I contributing?
Fashion will always be part of me, but writing has given me another language.
Namita Nayyar:
You have spoken about creating “spaces of genuine connection with other women.” Is there a specific initiative behind that?
Águeda López:
I think it starts with something very simple, but also very powerful: honest conversation.
As women, we often share so much of our lives publicly, but there are still many topics we tend to experience in silence—motherhood, identity, ambition, aging, the pressure to do everything perfectly, or the feeling of constantly reinventing ourselves while trying to hold everything together.
For me, creating spaces of genuine connection is about removing that sense of isolation. It’s about reminding each other that what we feel is often more universal than we think.
Right now, I’m exploring different ways of bringing that idea to life, but I don’t want it to be something forced or purely conceptual. It has to feel real, human, and useful. Whether through writing, conversations, or future projects, my intention is to open doors rather than close them.
I’m especially interested in the idea of women supporting other women not from a place of perfection, but from a place of truth. Because I think there is something incredibly powerful in saying: “I’ve been there too.”
At the end of the day, I believe connection is one of the most healing things we can experience. And if I can contribute, even in a small way, to creating more of that—spaces where women feel seen, understood, and less alone—that would feel very meaningful to me.
Looking back at the girl in Hornachuelos who dreamed of Paris, what would you tell her today?
I think I would sit beside her and say, “Don’t change.”
Don’t make yourself smaller so other people feel comfortable. Don’t stop dreaming because someone tells you your dreams are unrealistic. Don’t allow the difficult moments to make you bitter.
One day you will see Paris. You will travel to places you can’t even imagine yet. You will work in fashion, write a book, fall in love, and become a mother, experience extraordinary happiness and also difficult moments that will teach you who you really are.
And I would probably tell her something that has taken me many years to understand:
The greatest achievement won’t be proving everyone wrong.
It will be becoming the woman you were always trying to find.
And through all of it, keep looking at the sun.
“Thank you so much for your time, Águeda. Congratulations again on the book, and we wish you all the best in this new chapter.”
Team credits
Model Agueda Lopez Instagram 2.6 million Followers https://www.instagram.com/aguedalopez/
Photography: Cleimar Lopez @claimarphotography
Hair & Make up: Raiza Montes @raizamontes
Styling: Paulina Posada @pauli.posada
PR: Firebird Pr Agency @firebirdpragency
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President of womenfitness.net, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or in full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2026 Women Fitness