Kaftan dress by Twiggy Dresses

Twiggy’s clothes change with her mood, something reflected noticeably in her Christmas wardrobe which includes beautiful ankle-length dresses in exotic prints and romantic styles in lovely colours. “I really have no particular look that I stick to,’ she confessed. ‘Yesterday I wore an ankle-length dress and today I have on a short one. I buy second-hand clothes if I think the fabrics and prints are beautiful. My wardrobe is really a complete mixture of things. I think that these days people can wear just what they like. There are really no set rules, and I personally feel that that’s very nice.”

During the last two months, Twiggy’s face, once constantly seen in virtually every magazine in the world, has been noticeably absent. “I have almost completely stopped modelling. Although I enjoyed every minute while I was doing it, I’m rather tired of it now. At the moment Justin and I will be working for only one American magazine and one Italian and any other work we want to do. Justin has sold the flat that he had, and is now living in the studio.”

Apart from Twiggy Enterprises in England, they have many business interests in the States selling all sorts of ‘Twiggy’ merchandise. During a visit there, earlier this year, Twiggy made a singing and dancing commercial for American TV which was an enormous success. Her main ambition for the coming year is to make a feature film which Justin will possibly co-produce.

`We almost made a film about eighteen months ago,” explained Justin. ‘Paul McCartney was going to write the music and Ken Russell direct. Then we had enormous trouble with the film rights and eventually had to drop the whole idea. When Twiggy made the American commercial she was so great, and en-joyed making it so much that it got us interested all over again. We’ve talked to various people about ideas for a script, but I can’t tell you anything definite about the story at the moment.”

Twiggy today is very different from the Twiggy of three years ago. She is more beautiful and her hair is longer. “I am desperately trying to grow it,” she says. “I want it to be very, very long.” She has grown up, but her unspoilt personality remains the same. One change Twiggy is very pleased about—she has stopped biting her fingernails. “All of a sudden I noticed that I’d just stopped —and that was that.”

She has a marvellous sense of humour and is interested in a variety of things. She loves reading, especially romantic novels, cinema and theatre, with a bent towards musicals, and pop music; she is a firm fan of the Beatles. She enjoys knitting. “I knit things all the time, for myself and all my friends.” (“Not bad, is she,” said Justin, sporting an original Twiggy knit.) “And I’ve just bought a crochet hook and book of instructions. You don t know how to crochet flowers, do you? It only tells you how to make circles in my book.”

Twiggy moves with the grace of a modern day Garbo. “As narrow as an arrow and as fetching as an etching” is a very apt description. She eats what she wants, is peeved that she can’t put on weight. “I wish I could,” she murmurs, busily demolishing an apricot pie. Another pet peeve of hers is spiders. “I hate spiders. I never kill them, though.”

What does Twiggy want this Christmas? “I don’t know. There’s nothing I really want. Just to be happy. And to make the film next year, that’ll be satisfying.”

Frizzy hairpieces by Joseph at Salon 33.

Photographs by Justin de Villeneuve.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from 19 Magazine, December 1969.

Black crepe dress with sequins by Twiggy Dresses.

Long printed dress by Twiggy Dresses.

Short blue dress by Twiggy Dresses. Long printed scarf from Emmerton and Lambert.

Long patchwork print dress by Twiggy Dresses.