Anna Karina

"I left home when I was 17...At that age young people can be very brave"

The beautiful Anna Karina became the best known of the French New Wave actresses through her collaborations with husband and director, Jean Luc Godard. She proved to be more than a muse however with her work in film, music and writing.

Hanne Karin Bayer was born in Denmark, 1940. She loved art, singing and dancing, though as a child she struggled with a difficult home life. Eventually she ran away to Paris at the age of seventeen. She started modelling and met Coco Chanel who changed her name to Anna Karina. After staring in a palmolive commercial she was spotted by director Jean Luc Godard. He offered her a film role but as it involved nudity she turned it down. Godard however was very taken with her and eventually cast her in the film Le Petit Soldat. Anna and Godard fell in love and were married in 1961. Professionally their relationship proved fruitful, together they made the films, Une Femme est Une Femme, Pierrot le Fou, Bande à Part, Alphaville and Made in the USA. Personally however Godard was cold and uncaring and following a miscarriage Anna attempted suicide. They divorced in 1967. Despite her personal unhappiness Anna was one of the most popular actresses of the day. She also became a fashion icon. Though her main films of the decade were collaborations with Godard she also stared in La Religieuse and Justine. 
She continues to act and has directed and produced films, she has also written four novels and remains a much loved figure throughout the world, often making appearances to discuss her work and life with Godard.

Whilst Godard's oeuvre was sometimes difficult to understand, Anna's luminosity and fragility made it more accessible to a wider audience. She could be both sensitive and lively, she imbued in her characters a sense of her own spirit. She was dedicated and passionate about her work and throughout her career continued to stretch herself in the roles she took on. She became an icon of the French New Wave and inspired many with her clothing choices, distinctive cats eyes and bangs.

Though she remains best known for being Godard's muse Anna was a talented and creative person in her own right.  She has worked in all areas of the arts including, painting, acting, singing and writing. She worked with some of the most talented people of the 1960s including, Serge Gainsbourg, George Cukor, Roger Vadim, Maurice Ronet and Jacques Rivette. In 1961 she was awarded the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actress award for her work in Une Femme est Une Femme. She also worked in the theatre including the theatrical version of La Religieuse (she would also go onto to star in the film version).

Despite their difficult relationship Anna has always remained loyal to Godard's artistic vision. She remains fascinating both as an actress and as a person. Her body of work presents a classic vision of France during the 1960s, and represents the ever evolving world of French Cinema. Though she found fame as a muse, Anna never let this define her, she was equally as creative as any of the powerful men she worked with. 

"It's about being human. It's beautiful, it's touching, it's acting. It's acting and reality at the same time"

The Girl in the Song-Rosemary Davies

Ray Davies grew up in a house with six sisters, and his younger brother Dave. It was the second eldest sister that inspired the Kinks song, 'Rosy Won't You Please Come Home'.
Ray was very close to his two oldest sisters, who were like second mothers to him. Tragically Renee, the eldest, passed away when she was only thirty-one and Ray was thirteen. In 1964 his second sister, Rosie, emigrated to Australia with her husband, Arthur and their son, Terry. Ray was devastated by this second loss,
"I started screaming. A part of my family had left, possibly forever...I collapsed in a heap on the sandy beach and wept like a pathetic child"
His sisters emigration later inspired the album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). Rosie passed away in 2014.

Twiggy

"At sixteen, I was a funny, skinny little thing, all eyelashes and legs. And then suddenly people told me I was gorgeous. I thought they had gone mad" 

The most distinctive face of the Swinging Sixties was a young English Model who became an international icon whilst still a teenager. Lesley Hornby changed her name to Twiggy and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lesley Hornby was born in London, 1949. Her mother taught her to sew at an early age and she often made her own clothes. When she was sixteen Lesley had her hair cut at the famous hairdressers, Leonard of Mayfair. Leonard wanted to model his new short hairstyle and so he had several pictures taken of Lesley. The photos were noticed by a fashion journalist who arranged to meet Lesley and declared her to be the 'face of '66'. Her boyfriend, Justin de Villeneuve, became her manager and changed her named to 'Twiggy'. The newly christened Twiggy was soon modelling for all the major magazines, and quickly became an international icon. Twiggy even created her own fashion label, which was made especially for the teenage market. Although she was at the height of her fame Twiggy felt that modelling was only a transitory profession and in 1970 she retired from the business. In the following years Twiggy worked extensively in film and TV and had a successful singing career. In 1977 she married actor Michael Witney their daughter, Carly, was born the following year. The couple eventually separated and following Michael's death, Twiggy married Leigh Lawson. She currently lives in London with her husband and has her own fashion range, for older women, at department store Marks and Spencer.

Twiggy was one of the most recognisable and influential faces of Swinging London. Her slim androgynous figure, large eyes and short hair became the 'look' of the decade. She favoured miniskirts and shift dresses in bold colourful patterns, and was influenced by the 1920s. Twiggy was also more accessible to a younger audience, than some of the models of the day, and had a strong teenage following. One of her most distinctive features was her eyelashes, the bottom ones she emphasised by painting them onto her face.

Despite her youth Twiggy was always a dedicated professional and was interested in all aspects of her 'brand'. She was actively involved in her fashion label, collaborating with designers and flying around the world to promote it. She was also prepared for a life after fashion and stretched herself by pursuing acting and singing. She didn't want to remain a "clothes horse" for the remainder of her life and pushed herself in areas she found more personally fulfilling.

Though today she is best remembered for being something of a 'pop icon' Twiggy has remained a kind hearted, down to earth woman. Her achievements cross all aspects of the arts and she has had a huge influence on fashion, acting and the definition of beauty. More than anyone she encompassed the fun, youthful, working class feel of Swinging London.

"I used to be a thing; I'm a person now"

The Girl in the Song- Jenny Boyd

One of Donovan's loveliest songs was written for Pattie Boyd's sister, Jenny. Like her sister Jenny was also a model and later went on to marry Mick Fleetwood.

Though they never dated Donovan admitted he had a crush on Jenny, which inspired him to write, 'Jennifer Juniper'. Jenny and Pattie went on to open a small antique store on King's Road named 'Juniper', after the song. As Pattie remembered:

"Jenny and I took a stall in the antiques market in the King's Road, and specialised in art nouveau. We called it Juniper-because of 'Jennifer Juniper- and ran it for about a year. Jenny looked after the stall and I did the buying"

(Donovan & Jenny)

(Pattie & Jenny get a visit from The Beatles in their store 'Juniper')

Have a listen!