Twiggy, Model
Model Twiggy reveals her views and memories about London with Robert Elms.
Dame Lesley Lawson, widely known by the nickname Twiggy, is an English model, actress, and singer. She is considered a British cultural icon and was a prominent teenage model during the swinging '60s in London.
Born Lesley Hornby in 1949, Twiggy was raised in Neasden in north-west London, by a master carpenter father and factory worker mother.
It was in 1966 - at age 16 - that Twiggy’s career as a model took off. The renowned hairdresser Leonard’s of Mayfair was looking for models to try out a new crop haircut, and he styled Twiggy for a few head shots. A fashion journalist from the Daily Express saw the images and a few weeks later published an article declaring her 'the face of 66'. She was also proclaimed as 'the Cockney kid with a face to launch a thousand shapes' in the article. She became known for her thin build, androgynous appearance, and waif-like, doe-eyed manner.
By the end of the 1960s, her fame had spread worldwide. She’d modelled in France, Japan, and the US; appeared on the covers of Vogue and The Tatler; and the name Twiggy had become synonymous with the look of the decade.
After modelling, Twiggy had a successful career an actress and singer. Since 2005, she’s modelled for Marks and Spencer - a role that contributed to the company's successful revival at the time.
Twiggy reveals her views and memories about London with Robert Elms. This interview was first broadcast in November 2011.
Presenter: Robert Elms
Producer: Sarah Bateson
Sounds Producer: Ross Ryan
Executive Producer: Lorraine Maguire
