Marianne Faithfull, above, ultra-stylish in 60s mod clothes . |
Married and then separated to an artist, mother to a young son, a hit single, a rock star boyfriend and a heroin addiction, all before the age of 21 - in the rich cultural history of hip 60s London scene, there were few figures as notoriously colourful as Marianne Faithful. From the beginning, she seemed to tumble effortlessly into fame, a singing career and a world famous relationship.
Physically, as well as stylistically, the singer had all the right ingredients for the times: wild blonde hair, a slender body, a sensuous mouth, whispery voice, incandescent blue eyes and the whole enhanced by a Carnaby Street cool that reflected the cutting edge fashions of the era. (though Faithfull describes Carnaby Street as a media construction)
Clothes aside, her convent background and sweet, angelic facial features belied a daring, hedonistic personality that sought out sensual experience but the clash only made her seem more interesting. Looking at very early footage of her, she seems exceptionally effervescent, dreamy, articulate and almost childishly naive, as though she lived in rarefied air.