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Twiggy's real name and reason for changing it revealed

Published 1 week ago3 minute read

A brand new documentary about sixties icon Twiggy has just been released, and fans will learn a lot more about the British cultural legend. 

For years, fans have wanted to know where her stage name came from. Even though the model's real name is Dame Lesley Lawson, she's been known as 'Twiggy' throughout her career. So, how did the name come about?

'Twiggy' dates back to 1965, when the now 75-year-old was attending an all-girls grammar school. While she was working as an assistant in a London hair salon, she met the hairdresser Nigel Davis, who later became known as Justin de Villeneuve.

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After first calling her 'Twigs' due to her thin build, Nigel was the force behind Twiggy's drastic change in physical appearance, giving her a short boyish bob with thick dark eyeliner and false eyelashes.

When a fashion journalist for the Daily Express spotted her photo on a salon wall, Twiggy was quickly profiled and labelled as "The Face of '66", and later voted as British Woman of the Year. 

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Her modelling career quickly gained traction. The next year, she appeared on the cover of Vogue, her name was marketed alongside dolls, and the rest is history.

The new documentary about Twiggy, directed by Sadie Frost, will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on March 7th. It explores her life from her North-West London roots to superstardom. 

As a worldwide icon of fashion, Twiggy dominated the scene in the 1960s. She has since become a symbol of the era and its spirit.

Twiggy poses in a striking red top and showcases a Louis Vuitton monogrammed bag, perfectly styled on her head. Her bold eye makeup and slicked-back hair represent the high-fashion editorial aesthetic, blending luxury accessories with avant-garde styling.© Bert Stern

Twiggy is a symbol of the Swingin' Sixties

In 1967, she posed for Vogue in a striking red wool chenille Silverworm jumpsuit, holding a Louis Vuitton monogrammed bag, perfectly perched atop her head. Her bold, light blue eye makeup and slicked-back hair, alongside a Vacheron Constantin watch and silver chain bracelet completed the ensemble.

Twiggy embodies the mod spirit in a playful newspaper-printed dress. Her wide smile and carefree attitude represent the youthful exuberance of 1960s fashion. The minimalist makeup and pixie haircut complement the bold dress, which captures the era’s avant-garde approach to print and patterns.© Manchester Daily Express

Twiggy wearing a newspaper dress, 30 June 1967

In a playful photo taken on 30 June 1967, she wholly embodied the mod spirit in a newspaper-printed dress. Her beaming slime and carefree demeanour captured the youthful excitement of 1960s fashion. With minimalist makeup and a pixie cut to complement her bold dress, she encapsulated all that one expects from the era's avant-garde approach to prints and patterns.

Arriving at the airport with flair, Twiggy and her partner make a bold entrance. She sports wide-leg pants, pastel hues, and oversized sunglasses, a classic look for jet-setting fashionistas of the time. This polished yet relaxed style signals the shift towards more glamorous, travel-friendly fashion.© Keystone

British fashion model Twiggy and her partner and manager Justin de Villeneuve board a BEA aircraft at London Airport, for a holiday in Greece, 24th August 1968.

In August of the following year, Twiggy and her manager-boyfriend arrived at the airport in style, making an incredibly bold statement ahead of their flight to Greece. She wore white wide-leg trousers, a pastel blue blouse, and oversized sunglasses—a classic look for the frequently travelling fashionista. 

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