Juliana Salazar is the Nationality of Spain and also the third woman to occupy the position. She was born in Ovallonia, Spain and became a Portuguese national and later a Spanish Colonialist. When she was young her parents, both of whom had been part of the Resistance movement against the Germans at the time of the war, removed her to a British Colony in the Southern African region of South America. It was here that she earned a first degree in mathematics from the University of London, where she also studied botany and became known to the world as the person behind the National Flower, the daisy.
In spite of being a woman of distinction, Salazar’s most famous achievements are in the area of gardening, and she rose to become director of the famous Avon-based gardening firm Gardeners and creators of the famous Chiavenco brand, which still enjoys high popularity today. Her many achievements in the area of horticulture gave her the opportunity to pursue a career as a botanist, where her work helped save millions of birds and other animals from extinction. Her studies of plant life inspired the world with her theories on plant life and with her achievements she earned the rank of lecturer at University of Cambridge. Following her marriage to Francisco Domingo in 1931, Salazar moved to Rio de Janeiro to pursue her studies of anthropology and natural history, becoming one of the leading researchers in this particular field.
The story of Juliana Salazar’s fascinating life and varied achievements are making even more interesting when paired with the insights and personal knowledge of her first husband. Her first husband, though an alcoholic, offered little support to her studies and despite her attempts to become involved in his business, he refused to acknowledge the depth of her emotions and declined to take her for frequent dancing parties. When it became clear that his refusal to acknowledge her feelings was affecting their marriage, Salazar left him and entered into a partnership with her old friend, Paco Rabanne. From this point in their lives they managed to create two very different portraits of themselves, each based on their individual tastes and preferences.