Having written a few of these now, I have often read the phrase ‘it girl’ whilst researching on a female from the 60s who made a splash in that decade whether on film, in music or art.

Various names are categorised as such, but really, for me, there can only be one who stands above all else and that is Jean Shrimpton.

When I first discovered the work of photographer David Bailey, with Shrimpton as his model, in the early 80s, you could tell why she captivated him. She was simply beautiful to look at, but there was also a depth to her too; the phrase ‘dolly bird’, so often used, obviously did not apply here.

Over the intervening years, I have trawled many an exhibition of Bailey’s work and always find myself especially engrossed with his work featuring her. She was at the top of her game back then, appearing regularly on the covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Time and Glamour to name but a few.

Born in High Wycombe, on November 6th 1942. Shrimpton’s early years were of a rural life, being raised on a farm. She was educated in Convents, doing well there and University beckoned. However the pull of London was strong, and instead she enrolled at Langham Secretarial College at 17.  Already, her looks and height, standing at 5ft 10, was beginning to get her noticed. Film producer Cyril ‘Cy’ Endfield stopped her in the street one day and suggested she attend a casting for a film role, which ultimately didn’t work out. His second word of advice on that day though, to quit secretary school and get modelling, was followed up and she signed with the Lucy Clayton agency.

Catalogue work at first, aged18, then turned to magazine shoots and this is where she met Bailey, on a job for Vogue. They were instantly attracted to each other becoming a formidable double act. Bailey insisted from then on, he would only use Shrimpton in any immediate work. As I mentioned that work, of natural poses and the use of unusual angles, are timeless and capture the early 6os ‘anything is possible’ vibe perfectly.

Her romance with Bailey ended in 1964, when she fell in love with the actor Terence Stamp. Together, they really were a golden couple in every sense of the word.

Shrimpton by this stage was famous around the world, and at the time, the worlds highest paid model. She was hired for a four-day horseracing event in Australia in 1965, which included The Melbourne Cup. Her fee for the promotional work at the races was said to be £2000.00, a small fortune back then. Whilst there and handing out the prizes on Derby Day, she became front page news, by wearing a mini skirt, minus a hat or gloves. Conservative Australia went on to have a touch of the vapours looking on.

Keeping it in the family, Jean wasn’t the only Shrimpton to cause a stir during the mid 60s, with younger sister Chrissie also grabbing the headlines as the girlfriend of the likes of Mick Jagger and later Steve Marriott of The Small Faces

Taking a break from modelling, 1967 saw her appear in the film ‘Privilege’ alongside former Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones. The critics weren’t kind to her or the film.

She was hailed as the first supermodel in 1971, but the shallow nature of the fashion industry was beginning to bore her and the need to educate her mind saw her become a regular at art galleries, museums and becoming a veracious reader. By 1975, she was out of the game altogether.

Moving from London, she settled in Cornwall where she married photographer Michael Cox in 1979 and they bought and run the Abbey Hotel in Penzance.

‘Fashion is full of dark, troubled people’ she said. ‘It’s a high-pressured environment that takes its toll and burns people out. Only the shrewd survive – Andy Warhol, for example, and David Bailey.’

‘I never liked being photographed. I just happened to be good at it.’

You can say that again.

The Mumper of SE5