Jean Shrimpton
Encyclopedia
Jean Rosemary Shrimpton (born 7 November 1942 in High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire) is an English model and actress. She was an icon of Swinging London
and is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels.
She appeared on covers such as Vogue
, Harper's Bazaar
, Vanity Fair
, Glamour
, Elle
, Ladies' Home Journal
, Newsweek
, and Time magazines. She starred alongside Paul Jones
in the 1967 film Privilege
.
at 17 and began modelling in 1960. She has appeared on the covers of popular magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Vanity Fair. During her career, Shrimpton was widely reported to be the "world's highest paid model", the "most famous model", and the "most photographed in the world". She was also described as having the "world's most beautiful face". She was dubbed "The It Girl", "The Face", "The Face of the Moment", and "The Face of the '60s". Glamour
named her "Model of The Year" in June 1963. She contrasted the aristocratic-looking models of the 1950s by representing the coltish, gamine
look of the youthquake movement
in 1960s Swinging London
, and she was reported as "the symbol of Swinging London." By breaking the popular mould of voluptuous figures with her long legs and slim figure, she was nicknamed "The Shrimp". Shrimpton was also known for her long hair with bangs
, wide doe-eyes, long wispy eyelashes, arched brows, and pouty lips.
Shrimpton also helped launch the miniskirt
. In 1965, Shrimpton caused a sensation in Melbourne, Australia, when she arrived for the Victoria Derby
wearing a white shift dress designed by Colin Rolfe which ended 10 cm (3.9 in) above her knees. She wore no hat, stockings or gloves and wore a man's watch, which was unusual at the time. Shrimpton was unaware she would cause such reaction in the Melbourne community and media.
In her article "The Man in the Bill Blass Suit", Nora Ephron
tells of the time when Jean Shrimpton posed for a Revlon
ad in an antique white Chantilly lace
dress by Blass. Minutes after the lipstick placard hit the drugstores, the Revlon switchboard lit up with calls from women demanding to know where they could buy the dress.
Shrimpton was once engaged to photographer David Bailey. They met in 1960 at a photo shoot
that Shrimpton, who was then an unknown model, was working on with photographer Brian Duffy
for a Kellogg's corn flakes
advertisement. Duffy told Bailey she was too posh for him, but Bailey was undeterred, and he and Shrimpton subsequently had a relationship for four years, ending in 1964. During the affair, Bailey was still married to his first wife Rosemary Bramble but left her after nine months and later divorced to be with Shrimpton.
Shrimpton's first photo session with Bailey was in 1960 (either for Condé Nast
's Brides on 7 December 1960 or for British Vogue
). She started to become known in the modelling world around the time she was dating Bailey. Shrimpton has stated she owed Bailey her career, and he is often credited for discovering her and being influential in her career. In turn, she was Bailey's muse, and his photographs of her helped him rise to prominence in his early career. Shrimpton's other celebrated romance was with actor Terence Stamp
. She married photographer Michael Cox in 1979 at Penzance
register office when she was four months pregnant with their son Thaddeus (born in 1979). They own the Abbey Hotel in Penzance
, Cornwall, now managed by Thaddeus and his family. Her younger sister Chrissie
was also an actress, linked to both Mick Jagger
and Steve Marriott
of the Small Faces.
In March 2011, the BBC announced that the story of her relationship with David Bailey will be explored in a film, We'll Take Manhattan, with Karen Gillan
playing the part of Shrimpton.
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Buckinghamshire) is an English model and actress. She was an icon of Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
and is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels.
She appeared on covers such as Vogue
Vogue (British magazine)
The British edition of Vogue is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1916.When British Vogue was launched, it was the first overseas edition of an existing fashion magazine. Under the magazine's first editor, Elspeth Champcommunal, the magazine was essentially the same as the American...
, Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, and Time magazines. She starred alongside Paul Jones
Paul Jones (singer)
Paul Jones is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio personality and television presenter.-Career:As P. P...
in the 1967 film Privilege
Privilege (film)
Privilege is a British film directed by Peter Watkins. It was released in 1967 being produced by John Heyman. Story: Johnny Speight. Script: Norman Bogner...
.
Biography
Shrimpton graduated from Lucie Clayton's modelling schoolLucie Clayton Charm Academy
Lucie Clayton College was founded by Sylvia Lucie Golledge in 1928 as a finishing school which expanded into modelling two years later and turned into Britain's top modelling agency during the 1950s and 1960s....
at 17 and began modelling in 1960. She has appeared on the covers of popular magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Vanity Fair. During her career, Shrimpton was widely reported to be the "world's highest paid model", the "most famous model", and the "most photographed in the world". She was also described as having the "world's most beautiful face". She was dubbed "The It Girl", "The Face", "The Face of the Moment", and "The Face of the '60s". Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
named her "Model of The Year" in June 1963. She contrasted the aristocratic-looking models of the 1950s by representing the coltish, gamine
Gamine
Gamine is a French word, the feminine form of gamin, originally meaning urchin, waif or playful, naughty child.The word was used in English from about the mid-19th century , but, in the 20th century, came to be applied in its more modern sense of a slim, often boyish, wide-eyed young woman who...
look of the youthquake movement
Youthquake (movement)
Youthquake was a 1960s fashion, musical and cultural movement. The term was coined by Vogue's editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland in 1963. London was the center of this movement. Teenagers dominated the fashion and music scene. The fashion of youthquake was fun, spirited and youthful – miniskirts...
in 1960s Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
, and she was reported as "the symbol of Swinging London." By breaking the popular mould of voluptuous figures with her long legs and slim figure, she was nicknamed "The Shrimp". Shrimpton was also known for her long hair with bangs
Fringe (hair)
Fringe are a shaped cutting of the front part of the hair so that it is combed forward and hangs or curls over the forehead. A classic fringe is cut fairly straight at or above the eyebrows, but fringes can also be ragged or ruffled, spiked up with hair gel, swept to one side or the other, and...
, wide doe-eyes, long wispy eyelashes, arched brows, and pouty lips.
Shrimpton also helped launch the miniskirt
Miniskirt
A miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks; and a minidress is a dress with a similar meaning...
. In 1965, Shrimpton caused a sensation in Melbourne, Australia, when she arrived for the Victoria Derby
Victoria Derby
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
wearing a white shift dress designed by Colin Rolfe which ended 10 cm (3.9 in) above her knees. She wore no hat, stockings or gloves and wore a man's watch, which was unusual at the time. Shrimpton was unaware she would cause such reaction in the Melbourne community and media.
In her article "The Man in the Bill Blass Suit", Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, playwright, journalist, author, and blogger.She is best known for her romantic comedies and is a triple nominee for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay; for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in...
tells of the time when Jean Shrimpton posed for a Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
ad in an antique white Chantilly lace
Chantilly lace
Chantilly lace is a handmade bobbin lace named after the city of Chantilly, France, in a tradition dating from the 17th century, though the most famous are silk laces introduced in the 18th century...
dress by Blass. Minutes after the lipstick placard hit the drugstores, the Revlon switchboard lit up with calls from women demanding to know where they could buy the dress.
Shrimpton was once engaged to photographer David Bailey. They met in 1960 at a photo shoot
Photo shoot
A photo shoot is generally used in the fashion industry, whereby a model poses for a photographer at a studio where multiple photos are taken to find the best ones for the required brief...
that Shrimpton, who was then an unknown model, was working on with photographer Brian Duffy
Brian Duffy (photographer)
Brian Duffy was a celebrated English photographer and film producer, best remembered for his fashion photography of the 1960s and 1970s and his creation of the iconic "Aladdin Sane" image for David Bowie.-Early life:...
for a Kellogg's corn flakes
Corn flakes
Corn flakes are a popular breakfast cereal originally manufactured by Kellogg's through the treatment of maize. A patent for the product was filed on May 31, 1895, and issued on April 14, 1896.-History:...
advertisement. Duffy told Bailey she was too posh for him, but Bailey was undeterred, and he and Shrimpton subsequently had a relationship for four years, ending in 1964. During the affair, Bailey was still married to his first wife Rosemary Bramble but left her after nine months and later divorced to be with Shrimpton.
Shrimpton's first photo session with Bailey was in 1960 (either for Condé Nast
Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...
's Brides on 7 December 1960 or for British Vogue
Vogue (British magazine)
The British edition of Vogue is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1916.When British Vogue was launched, it was the first overseas edition of an existing fashion magazine. Under the magazine's first editor, Elspeth Champcommunal, the magazine was essentially the same as the American...
). She started to become known in the modelling world around the time she was dating Bailey. Shrimpton has stated she owed Bailey her career, and he is often credited for discovering her and being influential in her career. In turn, she was Bailey's muse, and his photographs of her helped him rise to prominence in his early career. Shrimpton's other celebrated romance was with actor Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
. She married photographer Michael Cox in 1979 at Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
register office when she was four months pregnant with their son Thaddeus (born in 1979). They own the Abbey Hotel in Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
, Cornwall, now managed by Thaddeus and his family. Her younger sister Chrissie
Chrissie Shrimpton
Chrissie Shrimpton is a former 1960s English model and actress. She is the younger sister of model Jean Shrimpton and was the girlfriend of Mick Jagger from 1963 to 1966.-Films:*G.G...
was also an actress, linked to both Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and Steve Marriott
Steve Marriott
Stephen Peter Marriott , popularly known as Steve Marriott, was an English musician, songwriter, and frontman of several notable rock and roll bands, spanning over two decades...
of the Small Faces.
In March 2011, the BBC announced that the story of her relationship with David Bailey will be explored in a film, We'll Take Manhattan, with Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan
Karen Sheila Gillan is a Scottish actress and former model who is best known for her current portrayal of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
playing the part of Shrimpton.