This is what 60 looks like
Born 19 September, 1949 Neasdon- London- England
She represents my youth It started with a pair of lavender suede 'hot-pants' my father
purchased for me on Carnaby St. in London.
If you loved fashion, you wanted to be her..
even when you were 10.
Her name is Leslie Hornby and her face launched the arrival of the teenage revolution and epitomized 60's swinging London. What was swinging London? It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasized the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. In 1965, Diana Vreeland, editor of Vogue magazine, said "London is the most swinging city in the world at the moment."
When this carpenter's daughter from Neasden in North London was 16, she was declared the face of 1966. Her story began with a push from a friend to see a 'woman' she knew to discuss a modeling job. Leslie took the idea with a chuckle and went to see this woman.Leslie was told that she was too small (5' 6 1/2" and weighed in at 6 1/2 stone/91 lbs.) but thought she had an interesting face and agreed to send her for some test photo shots. But first, Leslie was to see Leonard at the House of Leonard, a posh Mayfair salon for a trim and style. After their brief introduction, Leonard slipped away to phone photographer Barry Lategan. Leonard asked if Lategan could snap a few photos of this "girl". He wanted to do his new haircut on her but wanted to know if Lategan thought she was photogenic first. During her photo shoot, her then boyfriend Justin de Villeneuve, made the comment, "Oh Twiggy"(an obvious nickname due to her spindly frame). Photographer Lategan said, "Great name, if you ever model, you should use it". Lategan did the shots, called Leonard and said, "Yes she is photogenic, and yes do the cut". After eight hours of color and cut, photos were shot and ultimately Leonard hung them in his salon.
The famous haircut that catapulted this waif to icon status.androgynous became fashionable
One of the first Barry Lategan photo's that launched her career
In Leslie's words from an interview with Swindle Magazine this is the rest of the story; "The next lucky break was that one of the most eminent fashion journalists of the day in those days, Deirdre McSharry, came in and loved the photograph. She worked for a national newspaper called the Daily Express. She was a client of Leonard’s. She said, “Love the hair. Who’s the girl?” And Leonard said, “A young schoolgirl.” And she said, “I want to meet her, I think she’s got something.” So I got this phone call at home. They said this lady wants to interview you. I was so green, I didn’t even know what an interview was. I went to meet this lady; we had tea. They took more pictures of me. She said, “I’m going to write a piece about you.” So every day for about two weeks, my dad would buy the Daily Express and there’d be nothing. We thought it’d be a little tiny column. Two weeks later, my dad came in. It was the whole center page. The headline was “Twiggy: The Face of ‘66.” It was the big headshot that Barry took. And that’s when my life turned around."
with her painted on bottom lashes and her doe shaped eyes..she launched mod fashion. An era hard to describe nor to replace.
You felt change in the air. It was as electric as the hot-pink, and the
neon-yellows of the fashions.
"I remember the day I first met Twiggy. She had a great curiosity. She walked around my studio looking at everything. She truly had a different look and she had an amazing, big laugh. She brought the idea of teenagehood into acceptance; she was a non-ruling-class girl who made herway in the world. She still knows how to handle herself with a professional elegance and dignity."
Barry Lategan, photgrapher
As a part of the British youth subculture in the early mid 60's -you were either a mod or a rocker.
Twiggy was a self-proclaimed mod.
"Twigg's used to come into Biba before she was well known, in great vintage pieces such as 40's coats with huge shoulders. I use to think, "God, that girl is amazing. She looks like Garbo." Despite all the celebrities coming into the shop, Twiggy was the one who counted; she was a superstar. We worked together making clothes for shoots and parties. Twiggy modelling Biba make-up, doing the interiors for her dressing room for the pantomime Cinderella in 1974 and for her Notting Hill flat. I remember being in the back of the car with her on her way to appear on Parkinson and watching her slap on her make-up, her boots caked in mud, she didn't care. She was always terribly funny and very loyal."Barbara Hulanicki, designer and co-founder of Biba
other than the photo of the Beatles walking across Abbey Road, no other image represented the late 60's more than Twiggy's.
"The fact that people are still astonished at the success of Twiggy after all these years says it all. That invincible smile, the rock-hard confidence, despite her small frame, in a shrunken sweater and tiny skirt. Leonard, my hairdresser and friend, had shown me the Barry Lategan black & white snaps. Leonard was hoping this new face might be useful to launch his "little-boy" haircut - a haircut which, like her painted-on eyelashes, "the twiggies", became the waif look of the season. In the heady 60's, I liked not only working with her as a model (always easy to be with), but watching her grow (in inches too) and learn. She understood what the new wave of romantic designers, such as Kaffe Fassett and the late Bill Gibb, were doing. I remember her hanging her first Gibb frock on the wall of her flat like artwork. Twiggy had genuine charm, extraordinary application and was always the iron butterfly, coolly eyeing the main chance, never missing an opportunity to shine".Deirdre McSharry, who discovered Twiggy when she declared her the 'Face of 66' in the London Daily Express.
"You could put her anywhere and she would always be happy"-Tessa Traeger whose late husband Ronald Traeger, shot this famous 1967 image above for Vogue in Battersea Park, London; Twiggy designed her own 'mobile dress'.
"Twiggy arrived on the scene unlike any other model before or since - smaller, thinner and with extraordinary charm that enchanted everyone then as it does today. Twiggy is unique and a wonderful model, and can dance like a dream. She is as fresh as she was on the first day, and brilliant. She will last forever."Mary Quant, fashion designer
At the mere age of 20, & after just 4 years of modeling, Twiggy decided "You can't be a clothes hanger your entire life", and left modeling. She went on to stage acting, to perform in musicals, and act in films & television (winning 2 golden globes).
In 1976, Twiggy signed to Mercury records and released the albums Twiggy and Please Get My Name Right; she released another album, Midnight Blue. In 2007, Sepia Records released a previously shelved album that Twiggy recorded in 1979, Produced by Donna Summer and Juergen Koppers. To celebrate her 60th birthday, her newest cd, "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance" was released Sept. 14, 2009.
Twiggy on Sept. 24th at a book signingA sincere Happy Be-lated Birthday to you Twiggy for looking into your face brings back memories that endure a life-time.
{go forth & live responsibly}
inspire inner revolution
** this post is dedicated to my favorite Brit blogging-buddy & friend - Jackie @ Home
research & photo credits attributed to; wikipedia.org; swindlemagazine.com; guardian.co.uk; dailymail.co.uk; gregwengerphotography;iamthechildofthemoon.blogspot; dollyrockergirl.blogspot;rhetro.com;alan ballard; blogcdn.com; gininateacup.blogspot; directnews.co.uk; miakillen.com; lewis morely; nndb.com; snowrecords.com; terry o'neil; zimbio.com; topfoto.co.uk; 2009 photos - bryan adams;
