Style Icon of the Week!

Way back before Kate Moss defined a generation of cool hipsters, there was Twiggy. Born Leslie Hornby, Twiggy became super-famous super-fast.
Known for her large eyes, thin build and long eye-lashes, Twiggy is one of the world's most famous supermodels. However, her impact was felt even outside of the immediate fashion industry, as she exemplified the Mod look and lifestyle of the late 50's and 60's- extremely short dresses, bobs, turtle-necks, all stylish clothes that teens with disposable incomes started spending on.
1965 heralded the 16-year-old Twiggy’s meteoric rise to fame. She met 1960s celebrity Justin de Villeneuve, born Nigel Davis, who worked as a hairdresser. The couple fell in love and de Villeneuve became her manager. Under his influence, her fashion mod look helped make her the face of 1960s ‘Swinging London’ - a cultural revolution which represented all that was new and modern and was a time of hedonism and optimism. She was voted British Woman of the Year in 1966.
The world’s first supermodel, Twiggy became internationally known, modelling extensively in France, Japan and America, in 1967. Her elfin haircut, huge eyes, false eyelashes, sculpted jaw line and endless legs adorned almost every magazine cover, including Vogue and Tatler. She had her hair cut by Vidal Sassoon and was photographed by Barry Lategan.
Twiggy enjoyed a year’s modelling contract with Woman’s Mirror, an Australian magazine. Always dressed in the latest fashion, she willingly attended all of London’s trendiest parties and public events. Despite being somewhat flighty and giggly, her cockney accent and disarming sense of humour merely made her more appealing to the public. Her boyish, skinny features made her instantly different from other models of her time and were perfectly fitted to the 1960s rising hemlines and bold shapes of mod fashion.