Jean Shrimpton

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Jean Shrimpton (b. 7 November 1942 in High Wycombe) is a former English Supermodel (before the term was used) and actress, who graduated from Lucie Clayton's modeling school at age 17 in 1960. Nicknamed The Shrimp, she was an icon of Swinging Sixties London, possessing some of the gamine features that also made a huge success of the younger Twiggy. She starred alongside Paul Jones in the 1967 movie Privilege and was name-checked in the Smithereens song Behind the Wall of Sleep.

In 1965 Shrimpton caused a sensation in very conservative Melbourne in Australia when she arrived for the Victoria Derby race during Melbourne Cup week. She shocked everybody by wearing a daring white shift dress which ended high above her knees, a forerunner of the Miniskirt which became a worldwide craze (this dress was designed and made by the young fashion designer Colin Rolfe). To make things worse she wore no hat, stockings or gloves which was very controversial at the time. Shrimpton was blissfully unaware she would cause such reactions among the then staid and prim Melbourne community and media.

Shrimpton was once engaged to 60s photographer David Bailey, on whom the David Hemmings character in the movie Blowup was based. They met on a shoot for a Cornflakes advertisement. His friend told him she was too posh for him, but Bailey thought, 'We'll see about that!' The couple had a relationship for four years.

Shrimpton and her husband Michael Cox now own a hotel in Penzance, Cornwall. They have a son named Thaddeus. Her younger sister Chrissie was an actress, linked to Mick Jagger and also Steve Marriott of the Small Faces.