Twiggy became one of the most recognizable faces of the 1960s, but her rise to fame started with something she never planned: a haircut she did not even want. At just 16, the future supermodel walked into a fashionable London salon expecting a simple styling session and left with the short pixie cut that would help change her life.
According to People, now 77, the British fashion icon is looking back on that unlikely moment while promoting her documentary Twiggy. She says she never expected to become a model and believes a traditional agency might have rejected her because she did not fit the industry’s usual height or measurement standards. Instead, the Twiggy haircut opened a completely different door.
Twiggy’s Famous Haircut Happened Almost by Accident
In 1966, Twiggy visited a Mayfair salon before a night out when hairstylist Leonard Lewis asked if he could cut her long hair. She actually preferred her hair long and parted down the middle, which matched the mod style she loved at the time. But the teenager felt too shy to refuse him in the upscale salon, so she agreed.
The result was the now-famous cropped pixie style. Photographer Barry Lategan photographed Twiggy so the salon could showcase the haircut, and one of those images ended up displayed inside the shop. A fashion journalist spotted the photograph and became interested in the teenager behind it. Soon afterward, Vogue editor Diana Vreeland took notice, and photographer Richard Avedon also became part of her rapidly changing world. What began as the Twiggy haircut quickly became the visual signature of a new fashion era.
She Never Expected to Become a Fashion Icon
Twiggy has said the attention first focused more on her hairstyle than any modeling ambitions. Her distinctive look helped make her a defining face of Swinging London, quickly turning a shy working-class teenager into an international fashion star. She later moved beyond modeling into acting and music, appearing in films such as The Boy Friend and The Blues Brothers and shows including The Nanny and Absolutely Fabulous.
The years that followed brought personal challenges alongside professional success. Twiggy has spoken about criticism of her naturally slender frame and losing her first husband, Michael Witney, to a heart attack. Today, she continues working and hosts the Tea With Twiggy podcast. More than six decades later, the Twiggy haircut remains one of fashion’s most memorable transformations and a reminder of how one unexpected afternoon changed her life.