Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🎨

Twiggy

arts Maturity 7-9 war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Dame Lesley Lawson is a famous English model, actress, and singer. She is best known by her nickname, Twiggy.

Twiggy promo
Twiggy promo

During the "swinging sixties" in London, she became a major cultural icon. Twiggy was one of the world's first international supermodels. She was famous for a very specific look. This look included a thin build and an androgynous appearance. This means her style was not clearly masculine or feminine. Her appearance was defined by short hair, big eyes, and very long eyelashes.

Twiggy & Justin de Villeneuve 1973
Twiggy & Justin de Villeneuve 1973

Twiggy's rise to fame happened through a series of specific events in 1966. At age 16, she visited a salon in London owned by a celebrity hairdresser named Leonard. He used her as a model to test a new short crop haircut. A photographer named Barry Lategan took several headshots of her. A fashion journalist named Deirdre McSharry saw these images. McSharry arranged for more photos to be taken for the Daily Express. The newspaper published an article calling her "The Face of '66." This article turned her into an overnight sensation.

Her career moved through several distinct stages and roles. First, she was a high-fashion model who traveled to France, Japan, and the United States. She appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine 14 different times. She also launched her own clothing line called "Twiggy Dresses" in 1967. After four years of modeling, she retired from that field in 1970. She did not want to be a "clothes hanger" for her entire life. She then moved into acting on stage, film, and television. She also became a recording artist, singing pop and country music.

Twiggy's life began in Neasden, a suburb of north-west London. She was born on September 19, 1949, to Nellie Lydia and William Norman Hornby. Her father worked as a carpenter and joiner. Her mother worked in a printing firm factory. Her mother taught her how to sew at a young age. Twiggy used this skill to make her own clothing. She attended the Brondesbury and Kilburn High School during her youth.

During her peak, Twiggy's influence was measured in many ways. She commanded modeling fees of £80 per hour. In 1967, the magazine Vogue described her as an "extravaganza" that represented the look of the sixties. Her image was so popular that companies made Twiggy-themed pens, lunch boxes, and cosmetics. Even the New Yorker magazine wrote nearly 100 pages about the "Twiggy phenomenon." Her modeling helped support the success of the fashion brand Marks and Spencer starting in 2005.

Three Figures, Bourdon Place W1
Three Figures, Bourdon Place W1

Her acting career included several notable achievements and collaborations. In 1971, she starred in the musical The Boy Friend. This role earned her two Golden Globe Awards in 1972. She also made her Broadway debut in the musical My One and Only in 1983. This performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She worked with director Ken Russell on several projects. She also appeared on the cover of David Bowie's Pin Ups album in 1973.

Ken Russell and Twiggy on set of The Boyfriend (cropped)
Ken Russell and Twiggy on set of The Boyfriend (cropped)

Twiggy's impact connects to broader ideas in fashion and society. Her look was the perfect frame for the androgynous styles of the 1960s. This era saw the rise of "unisex" designs. Designers like Pierre Cardin and Andre Courreges created minimalistic clothes like Nehru suits. Others like Yves Saint Laurent adapted the male tuxedo for women. While her thin image was sometimes criticized by experts, Twiggy explained that her build was simply natural. She has remained a significant figure in British culture for many decades.

589 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Twiggy promo.jpg
Twiggy promo.jpg
File:Ken Russell and Twiggy on set of The Boyfriend (cropped).jpg
Ken Russell and Twiggy on set of The...
File:Twiggy & Justin de Villeneuve 1973.jpg
Twiggy & Justin de Villeneuve 1973.jpg
File:Three Figures, Bourdon Place W1.JPG
Three Figures, Bourdon Place W1.JPG
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.