Sister Act

Jean & Chrissie Shrimpton

Jean is the elder sistet, born November 7, 1942 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. At the age of 17, she graduated from Lucie Clayton's modelling school in 1960. Nicknamed 'The Shrimp', she was an icon of Swinging Sixties London. Photographer David Bailey, was also her boyfriend. Jean almost always posed as Bailey's model.The fashion trendsetter was also a heartbreaker to many glamorous men she knew during her time as a world famous cover girl (including a stint as the face of Yardley of London). She 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 was undeterred and the two subsequently had a relationship for four years. Her other celebrated romance was with actor Terence Stamp. As one of the most beautiful couples among the trendy denizens of Carnaby Street, and other hang-outs of Mod London, the two seemed a perfect couple to outsiders, but Shrimpton dumped him, citing the actor's narcissism. Chrissie was the younger sister of the reigning monarch of modes, and she is a text-book example of the younger-sister-to-a-monarch syndrome. Not serene and gracious, but pert and provocative, and she crackles into and out of the limelight with the unpredictable sparkle of a jumping jack. She is not famous for her modeling career but, for her tumultous relationship with Mick Jagger.

Jean

with Terence Stamp

by Cecil Beaton

Chrissie

in L.A. with Mick

with Jenny Boyd

David Bailey's wedding

(photos by David Bailey, Cecil Beaton, Birds of Britain, jamd.com)

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Under Mick's Thumb

Chrissie Shrimpton: She was Mick Jagger's girlfriend until 1966, and said to be a favorite of his parents at the time. She is the sister of photographer David Bailey's favorite model Jean Shrimpton. Mick left her for Marianne Faithfull. In Marianne Faithfull's autobiography, she says: "I was always amazed at how vicious their relationship was. You can hear the ferocity all over the Stones' early records, all those scathing put-downs. Chrissie had the upper hand in the beginning; she was at least as strong as he was. But in the end he had completely worn her down. She was under his thumb, like the infamous song he wrote about her." Chrissie was from the old scene, the Swinging London of dollies and pop stars. It was a very put together look. The wig, false eyelashes, and thick makeup. It took forever to get ready. The times were changing and Chrissie wasn't. Unlike Mick's tender songs for Marianne (Wild Horses, Lets Spend the Night Together, She's a Rainbow, and Lady Jane) the songs written about Chrissie portrayed her as a vapid, boutique- and disco haunting bitch who finally gets her due. Rolling Stones songs written about Chrissie: Under My Thumb, Play With Fire, Stupid Girl, & 19th Nervous Breakdown.

(images from corbis, and scans from Birds of Britain)

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