Twiggy (Lesley Hornby)

Background

Lesley Hornby was born on September 19, 1949, in Neasden, north-west London, and grew up in a working-family household. Her father, William Norman Hornby, was a carpenter and joiner, while her mother, Helen, worked in a factory. Neasden was then a suburban district of north-west London, geographically close to the cultural centers whose fashion and music scenes would define the 1960s.

At sixteen, Hornby entered the London fashion world and acquired the nickname Twiggy, derived from the earlier nickname “Twigs.” Her short hair, large eyes, graphic makeup, and slender, androgynous appearance distinguished her from established fashion models. The Daily Express named her “The Face of 1966,” and the label became associated with the youthful visual culture of Swinging London.

Education

Hornby attended Kilburn High School in London. Her documented professional training developed outside higher education, through work in fashion, photography, music, acting, dance, and theatre. Her transition from modeling to performance included preparation in voice, acting, and dance before her leading role in Ken Russell’s The Boy Friend.

Kilburn High School formed part of London’s state secondary-school system during the postwar period, while her later performance work connected her with the commercial and theatrical institutions of Britain, the United States, and the West End and Broadway traditions.

Career

Twiggy began professional modeling in 1966 after being photographed by Barry Lategan and having her hair styled by Vidal Sassoon. Between 1966 and 1970 she worked internationally for magazines and photographers including Vogue, Elle, Tatler, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Terence Donovan, Melvin Sokolsky, and Bert Stern. Her image became closely associated with the short skirts, bold geometric shapes, heavy eye makeup, and youthful styling of 1960s mod fashion.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Twiggy expanded into music and screen performance. She recorded albums and singles, appeared in the music documentary Popcorn, and worked with director Ken Russell, who cast her in The Boy Friend. Her performance as Polly Browne in the 1971 musical film earned two Golden Globe Awards: New Star of the Year—Actress and Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy.

Through the 1970s and 1980s, Twiggy worked in film, television, the West End, and Broadway. Her screen credits included W, The Blues Brothers, The Doctor and the Devils, Club Paradise, The Little Match Girl, and Madame Sousatzka. She played Eliza Doolittle in the television production Pygmalion and appeared on Broadway in My One and Only, for which she received a 1983 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Twiggy continued recording music and presenting television programs in later decades. Her programs included Twiggy’s People and Take Time with Twiggy, and she served as a judge on America’s Next Top Model from 2005 to 2007. She returned to fashion through campaigns for Marks & Spencer, clothing and accessories collections, and later modeling and beauty work. In 2020 she launched the interview podcast Tea with Twiggy.

Achievements

• Twiggy became one of the first internationally recognized supermodels and a defining fashion figure of the 1960s. Her cropped hair, graphic makeup, slender silhouette, and mod styling helped establish a new visual ideal in popular fashion and photography.

• Twiggy successfully extended her career from modeling into acting, singing, television presentation, musical theatre, writing, fashion design, and podcasting across more than five decades.

• She returned to major fashion visibility through Marks & Spencer’s campaigns from 2005 to 2011 and continued public work in fashion, beauty, charity, and entertainment.

Works

• album

  • Please Get My Name Right

    (A studio album recorded by Twiggy and promoted through pe...)

    1977
  • Romantically Yours

    (An album of romantic standards and popular songs performe...)

    2011

  • Twiggy

    (A studio album by Twiggy released during her 1970s work a...)

    1976

  • London Pride—Songs from the London Stage

    (An album of songs from London stage productions performed...)

    1996

• autobiography

  • Twiggy

    (Twiggy’s first autobiographical book, published during th...)

    1975
  • Twiggy in Black and White

    (An autobiographical account of Twiggy’s career and public...)

    1998

• musical

  • My One and Only

    (A Broadway musical in which Twiggy starred and received a...)

    1983

• musical film

  • The Boy Friend

    (Twiggy’s leading film role as Polly Browne brought her tw...)

    1971
  • The Boy Friend

    (Twiggy played Polly Browne in Ken Russell’s film adaptati...)

    1971

• photography book

  • Twiggy: A Life in Photographs

    (A photographic retrospective documenting Twiggy’s image a...)

    2009

Personality

Physical Characteristics: Twiggy became known for her short, elfin haircut, large eyes, prominent eyelashes, slender frame, and boyish fashion appearance. Her distinctive look was widely associated with the visual style of 1960s mod culture.

Interests

• Twiggy has supported animal welfare and anti-fur campaigns, breast-cancer research, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and children’s charities. She has also pursued fashion design, clothing and accessories collections, photography-related projects, and interview broadcasting.

• Music & Bands

  Twiggy has recorded pop, standards, musical-theatre songs, and Christmas music. Her albums include Twiggy, Please Get My Name Right, London Pride—Songs from the London Stage, A Hollywood Christmas, Midnight Blue, and Romantically Yours.

Connections

Twiggy married the American actor Michael Witney in 1977; they had a daughter, Carly, born in 1978. Witney died suddenly of a heart attack in New York City on November 30, 1983.

She married the British actor and director Leigh Lawson in 1988. Lawson has worked in film, television, and theatre, and the couple have appeared together in public and professional contexts. Twiggy has also supported animal-welfare organizations, breast-cancer research, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and children’s charities.

Father:

William Norman Hornby

Twiggy’s father was a carpenter and joiner.

Mother:

Helen Hornby

Twiggy’s mother worked in a factory.

husband:

Michael Witney

American actor and former baseball player; he married Twiggy in 1977 and died in 1983.

husband:

Leigh Lawson

British actor and director who married Twiggy in 1988.

Daughter:

Carly Lawson

Twiggy’s daughter, born in 1978.

References

• About Twiggy The official biography describes Twiggy’s modeling, acting, singing, television, fashion, charity, podcast, and publishing careers.
• Twiggy — Broadway Cast & Staff The Internet Broadway Database documents Twiggy’s birth information, Broadway appearance in My One and Only, and 1983 Tony and Drama Desk nominations.
• The Boy Friend The British Film Institute documents Ken Russell’s 1971 film and Twiggy’s role as Polly Browne.
• The Boy Friend — Golden Globes The Golden Globes database documents Twiggy’s two 1972 wins for The Boy Friend.
• Twiggy becomes Dame Commander of 2019 after receiving investiture from Prince Charles ITV documents Twiggy’s 2019 damehood, her early modeling fame, and her public identity as Lesley Lawson, known as Twiggy.
  2019