Twiggy’s real name and reason for changing it revealed

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.

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. 

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. 

Twiggy’s most iconic fashion moments

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.

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.

© Manchester Daily Express

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.

© Keystone

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.