| Lesley (Hornby) Lawson DBE is managed by the England Project. Join: England Project Discuss: england |
UK's 1960s supermodel and cultural icon - Twiggy
Contents |
Lesley's birth was registered in the Jul-Aug-Sep quarter of 1949 in the Willesden district.[1] Her parents were William Norman Hornby and Nellie Lydia (Reeman) Hornby ('Lydia' is a name favoured by the Reeman family for over two hundred years). Twiggy's family was making the news over 50 years before she was born, when her great great grandmother, Grace (Gillies) Meadows was trampled to death at a bargain sale in 1897. [2]
Twiggy worked as a 'Saturday girl' for a London hairdresser. Originally nicknamed 'Twigs', because she was naturally thin, her then-boyfriend, himself a hairdresser, changed his name and became her manager for the next seven years.
Her supermodel and iconic career began when she went for a haircut. The cropped look was new, and she stepped in as a model. Several photos were taken, later hung in the salon, were seen by a fashion journalist, and so began a rise to fame which saw Twiggy labelled "The Face of '66". [3] She was only 16. One month after this saw Twiggy posing for Vogue magazine. Her signature look of a stick-thin figure, a cropped haircut, and huge, dark eyes (this last achieved by wearing three layers of false eyelashes) launched her into appearances in fashion magazines. Twiggy herself says that her influences were Jean Shrimpton and Pattie Boyd.
Twiggy became an international sensation, travelling to New York, France, and Japan. She was photographed by some of the most famous photographers of the day, and praised for her boyish figure and generally androgynous looks. Her detractors have maintained that her thin looks were promoting an unhealthy image.
On 10 December 1969, she was chosen as the guest celebrity subject for one of the first episodes of This Is Your Life.
Twiggy retired in 1970 and broke off with her manager/boyfriend. She began to look into film work and singing, and her dress style changed; since the 'hippie look' was beginning to become all the rage, she opted for longer skirts, berets, and flowers. She worked with the Beatles, David Bowie and Leo Sayer, singing their songs and duetting with Sayer. Twiggy appeared on stage and screen - and the small screen (TV and cable). She continues to participate in ad campaigns.
In 1977, Twiggy married the American actor Michael Witney, who was born Whitney Michael Armstrong. The couple had one child together, and remained married until Witney died in 1983 of a heart attack. Twiggy married again in 1984.
In 2019, Twiggy was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for 'services to fashion, the arts, and charity'. [4]
Twiggy and her husband live in London and Southwold, Suffolk, England. She can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For complete filmography and more, please see freespace page
See Also:
Lesley is 24 degrees from Herbert Adair, 22 degrees from Richard Adams, 24 degrees from Mel Blanc, 24 degrees from Dick Bruna, 26 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 32 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 26 degrees from Sam Edwards, 23 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 29 degrees from Marty Krofft, 19 degrees from Junius Matthews, 21 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 22 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
H > Hornby | L > Lawson > Lesley (Hornby) Lawson DBE
Categories: Who Do You Think You Are (UK) | Mononymous Notables | Featured Connections Archive 2022 | Notables
Dame Lesley "Twiggy" Lawson DBE formerly Hornby aka Witney
We are featuring this profile in the Connection Finder this week. Between now and Wednesday is a good time to take a look at the sources and biography to see if there are updates and improvements that need made, especially those that will bring it up to WikiTree Style Guide standards. We know it's short notice, so don't fret too much. Just do what you can.
Thanks!
Abby
If I had caught this request, I'm sure that I would have quickly granted you Trusted status, as I have had this problem a lot myself, lately. Please send me a request with your email address in it so that I can grant the desired Trusted List status.
Sincerely,
Jill
Thanks.