Sadie Frost’s latest foray behind the camera, Twiggy, takes aim at a true British style trailblazer who has spent decades shapeshifting through modeling, stage work, screen appearances, and television. Born Lesley Hornby on the outskirts of London, she rocketed to fame under a single name that captured the swing of the 60s. This new documentary pieces together the highs and heartbreaks of the woman who would eventually become Dame Lesley Lawson—though there’s no denying that “Dame Twiggy” has a certain snap.
From the outset, the film charts her skyward rise: front pages at 16, film stardom by her early 20s, and eventually Broadway, where she earned a Tony nomination. She also scooped up two Golden Globes for her turn in Ken Russell’s “The Boy Friend,” then showed off her singing chops on a television variety show, welcoming guests like Bing Crosby and Bryan Ferry. The documentary weaves in glimpses of that unstoppable drive, echoed by key voices in the industry, including Edward Enninful and Suzy Menkes.
The narrative doesn’t shy away from the personal cracks beneath the polished exterior. Manager-turned-partner Justin de Villeneuve once loomed large in her life—he’s credited with coining her famous nickname—but he’s absent here. Then there’s the loss of her first husband, actor Michael Witney, whose sudden passing happened in front of their young daughter. Yet these events aren’t spun as long-running tragedies. Viewers see a woman who, at every turn, kept moving forward, sidestepping the worn-out script of fashion fame followed by a downward spiral.
By the time the credits roll, you’re left with a sense that her path was never governed by rules or expectations. She took a detour away from the catwalk in her early 20s and still racked up accolades that plenty of career actors spend a lifetime chasing. Sadie Frost’s second feature in this arena (following 2021’s “Quant”) doesn’t reinvent the biopic. But the draw is Twiggy herself—still sunny, still refusing to be boxed in, still reminding everyone that being a muse is only part of the story.
