Twiggy
Twiggy, born Leslie Hornby in London, is a renowned fashion model and cultural icon who emerged in the 1960s. Known for her distinctive waiflike appearance, she played a pivotal role in popularizing the Mod look, characterized by a youthful and androgynous aesthetic. Starting her modeling career at just fifteen, Twiggy quickly gained fame, being declared "the face of 1966" and becoming a sensation in both the UK and the United States. Beyond modeling, she successfully transitioned into acting, winning a Golden Globe for her role in the film *The Boy Friend*. Twiggy also ventured into singing and dancing, with appearances on Broadway and various television shows, including *America's Next Top Model*. Her impact on fashion extended into the 2000s with collaborations and guest appearances, including on shows like *RuPaul’s Drag Race UK*. Twiggy's legacy is reflected not only in her influence on beauty standards but also in her recognition as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2019, highlighting her enduring significance in both the fashion industry and popular culture.
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Twiggy
Model and actress
- Born: September 19, 1949
- Place of Birth: London, England
A Cockney teenager who became the world’s top model, Twiggy’s waiflike appearance helped popularize the Mod look in fashion.
Origins and History
Born in a working-class section of London, Leslie “Twiggy” (Hornby) Lawson was the youngest of three daughters born to William and Helen Hornby. As a child, she was often teased about the slender figure that later became her trademark.
After dropping out of school at the age of fifteen, Twiggy began modeling under the guidance of her boyfriend and manager, Justin de Villeneuve, who nicknamed her Twiggy. Within months, she had been declared “the face of 1966” by a London newspaper and was one of England’s most sought-after models. In 1967, she made a much-publicized visit to the United States, where she was photographed by Richard Avedon and profiled by several magazines. Under de Villeneuve’s management, she brought out a line of clothing bearing her name and agreed to endorse a wide range of products. By the close of the decade, however, she had given up modeling to pursue an acting career.
In the years following her modeling career, Twiggy worked as an actor, a singer, and a dancer. She appeared in Ken Russell’s film The Boy Friend in 1971, for which she won the Golden Globe Awards for best newcomer and best actor. She also appeared on Broadway in 1983 in My One and Only. She released an autobiography, titled Twiggy in Black and White, in 1998. In the 2000s, she modeled for the British retailer Marks and Spencer and appeared as a judge on the reality television show America's Next Top Model. In 2014, she appeared on the British genealogy television program Who Do You Think You Are?, in which celebrities trace their family history and ancestry. She also appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019 as a guest judge.
In 2022, Twiggy and actress and filmmaker Sadie Frost created an interactive, virtual documentary about Twiggy's life. The following year, the final scene of the documentary was created live at the Cannes Film Festival.
Impact
With her boyish figure and cropped hair, Twiggy personified the youthful, miniskirted look of the 1960s. Her working-class background and Cockney accent also represented the ongoing breakdown of class barriers in England. Her slender figure also ushered in a new level of desirable thinness for models and women. In 2019, she was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Bibliography
Borrelli-Persson, Laird. "Celebrating Twiggy, the Face of the Sixties, on Her Birthday." Vogue, Condé Nast, 19 Sept. 2014, www.vogue.com/slideshow/twiggy-sixties-icon-in-vogue. Accessed 20 May 2024.
Evans, Busola. "Twiggy: My Family Values." Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 Oct. 2014, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/03/twiggy-my-family-values. Accessed 20 May 2024.
Gross, Michael. Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women. HarperCollins, 2011.
Jackson, Hannah. "I Fell in Love with Twiggy on America's Next Model." Vogue, 31 Aug. 2023, www.vogue.com/article/ode-to-twiggy. Accessed 21 May 2024.
Saner, Emine. "Twiggy: 'I don't think high fashion will ever move completely away from slimness.'" The Guardian, 12 May 2020, www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/may/12/twiggy-i-dont-think-high-fashion-will-ever-move-completely-away-from-slimness. Accessed 20 May 2024.
Twiggy. Twiggy in Black and White: An Autobiography. Simon, 1997.