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Ronald Traeger (1936-68)

The American Ronald Traeger had joined the U.S. Navy as a photographer and cinematographer before ending up on his discharge in England. He was taken up by French Elle and then British Vogue, who published his pictures in 1963. He was an instant hit and Vogue advised readers ‘to watch out for more of his work soon…’. He photographed ‘Swinging London’ for the magazine, and, as something of an outsider, being American, he treated the participants as an exotic species. Twiggy was a favourite model and perhaps Traeger's best-known set of images is of her racing around Hyde Park on a mini-motorbike. His promising career was cut short in 1968 at a moment when, as Cecil Beaton noted later, ‘he was well on the way to becoming one of the most brilliant photographers of today’.

Stars and Stripes, January 1972

This was, as Vogue put it, a ‘Pow-Packed New Collection’ of funky boots for Mitsubishi. Designed in Japan by a European Moya Bowler, they were intended to be worn on both sides of the world, hence the ‘Stars and Stripes’ motif and the ‘kick-boxer’ shapes. The virulent colours of the knee-socks were a Western affectation only.

Shorts Supply, July 1967

One of the most famous of Twiggy’s early sittings for Vogue, taken by one of its least known photographers, Ronald Traeger, who died young. This dynamic exercise in en plein air enjoyment, the sensation of speed and freedom is caught perfectly by Twiggy’s open-mouthed excitement and the slight ruffle of the slipstream in her admittedly short-ish hair. As Vogue recalled, it was ‘quite a year for shorts, a freewheeling, long-legged, sort of year when clothes are built for action. Twiggy herself had designed this seersucker-striped dress cut short into shorts for Miss Selfridge. At 5 guineas it was a little cheaper than the Raleigh motorcycle at 57 guineas.

Spot the Shorts, July 1967

From one of her most iconic sessions, the ‘Face of the Year’ Twiggy zooms down Pall Mall on her brand new mini-motorbike. The better to show her black-and white polka dot shirt and shorts ensemble by Foale and Tuffin. Like Mary Quant, Foale and Tuffin defined the ‘Swinging Sixties’ fashion – at least for the young. Twiggy, with her boyish hairstyle, epitomised its anything-goes mentality.

Playgirl Fashion, July 1964 (cover)