Throwback Pics Of Legendary '60s Model Edie Sedgwick That Completely Capture The Era

Although the 1960s had several legendary pop culture figures, none is more tragic than Edie Sedgwick. Having been born into a wealthy family in Santa Barbara, California, Sedgwick was 21 when she received a trust fund from her grandmother, allowing her to move to New York City and pursue modeling. It didn't take long for her to fall in with Andy Warhol's crowd at The Factory, eventually becoming Warhol's muse.

Often considered the original "It" girl, Sedgwick really took advantage of the 1960s. From the fashion to the music scene to even the drugs that would eventually end her life at only 28, Sedgwick was the pure embodiment of the era. With her unique sense of style, heavy black eye makeup, and short platinum hair that even today is all the inspiration you need for a punk pixie cut, Sedgwick was quickly labeled a fashion icon, appearing in Vogue and Life, among other high-profile magazines of the time.

"She exemplified this freedom and mystery that existed then, which I feel is wholly vacant from the time period we grew up in," designer Zac Posen told Interview in November 2012. "Many people aren't pursuing their beliefs or pushing creativity as they did in Edie's day." But as much as Sedgwick was creating and inspiring others, she was also dealing with mental health issues and addiction. Although Sedgwick passed away in 1971 at the age of 28, she did a lot of living while she was here, and the throwback photos that remain are evidence of the lasting cultural impact she had on the 1960s and beyond. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

When you're as cool as Edie Sedgwick was, you get to do equally cool things pretty much 24/7. For example, you don't just hang out with The Velvet Underground, you also get to dance on stage with them at the New York Filmmakers' Cinematheque in February 1966. In a matching top and skirt, with dark tights, kitten heels, and large earrings that perfectly complemented her platinum pixie, Sedgwick danced alongside the legendary band, basically looking like an edgier version of fellow '60s model Twiggy. 

Sedgwick's outfit, right down to those oversized earrings, is one of many other celebrity outfits from the 1960s that define the era's style. Although there's a bit of a shadow cast over her face due to the lighting, you can still tell that Sedgwick's makeup is on the heavy side — false eyelashes and black eyeliner were all the rage then. Sedgwick also embraced her naturally bushy brows so much that she darkened them to the point of almost being black, adding to the contrasting colors between her blond pixie and brows.

Because Andy Warhol was already looking for a starlet to feature in his films, when he met Edie Sedgwick at Tennessee Williams' birthday party, he was immediately awestruck. "[Andy] sucked in his breath and ... said, 'Oh, she's so bee-you-ti-ful,' making every single letter sound like a whole syllable," Lester Persky, who hosted the birthday party, told Jean Stein, co-author of "Edie: American Girl" (via Vanity Fair). Not only was Sedgwick stunning and fashionable, with a style all her own, an aesthetic you can capture today if you blend mod and grunge makeup trends, but she also had a certain vulnerability that Warhol adored. 

This 1965 photo of Warhol lighting Sedgwick's cigarette is from the set of one of his films. Sedgwick's short hair is brushed back into a micro-beehive, and although she's sitting, you can tell she's wearing a mod shift dress, a trendy dress style everyone wore in the '60s, and it's about time it made a comeback. Sedgwick completed her look with black tights and, of course, over-the-top, big dangly earrings, an accessory that was one of her staple pieces. 

If ever there were a throwback picture of Edie Sedgwick that completely captures the era (and in color!), this is definitely one of them. In January 1966, The Velvet Underground performed for the New York Society for Clinical Psychiatry annual dinner, held at The Delmonico Hotel. Seated at The Velvet Underground's guest table was Edie Sedgwick in a leopard-print coat (a Gen X fashion trend that still feels chic today), along with other Andy Warhol collaborators and trendsetters like Candy Darling. 

Just a few months before this event, in July 1965, Sedgwick talked to The New York Times about her personal style. "I really like good, beautiful clothes," Sedgwick told NTY. "I love the spacey, Courrèges things. I love [the designer] Rudi Gernreich." Sedgwick went on to share that she had a variety of real fur coats, including three minks and one leopard (so yes, that's real leopard in the photo), but her favorites were Mongolian lamb and monkey fur. In the same interview, Sedgwick explained that, for eyeshadow, she regularly used watercolor paint, and the beauty mark on her cheek was something she drew on to highlight her dimples. In other words, Sedgwick was stylistically one of a kind, to say the least. 

As the offspring of old money and a quirky socialite, Edie Sedgwick developed a unique style that mixed classic elegance with modern edginess. This photo of her and Andy Warhol from the 1960s is the pure embodiment of Sedgwick, as she rocks both a black feather boa and a string of pearls — a jewelry trend that's often associated with older women. Thanks to her black eye makeup, Sedgwick's eyes look extra wide, like a deer caught in headlights, giving her an unforgettable aura. It's also worth noting that when it comes to the no-pants trend that is alive and well on red carpets and runways in recent years, Sedgwick was ahead of the curve.

"When I was with Andy Warhol, I was dancing jazz ballet twice a day, so I just wore my leotards, and I knew I wasn't going to turn anybody on," Sedgwick reportedly said once (via Vogue). "When I went out on the street I'd put on a coat. But Vogue photographed me in leotards and a T-shirt as a new costume." Although Sedgwick was spotted wearing the trendy minidresses and miniskirts of the decade, she became synonymous with the no-pants look, something that she pulled off flawlessly, likely inspiring others to do the same. 

If there was a party in town in the 1960s, you better believe Edie Sedgwick was there and ready to steal the show. In November 1965, Sedgwick attended the Mod Ball at the Rainbow Room alongside Andy Warhol. For the event, Sedgwick wore a silver lamé top and matching bell-bottom pants. The '60s and '70s were major fashion moments for lamé, and nobody could get enough of it — just check out Bianca Jagger's iconic fashion looks from the 1970s to see how popular it was.

While we don't know if Sedgwick is wearing silver as some sort of homage to Warhol's Factory (much of which was wallpapered in foil and silver paint) or if she just liked the color, in this outfit she looks chic and ready to party with all the other high-profile attendees. When The New York Times covered the event after the fact, they wrote, "The undoubted queen of the ball was Edie Sedgwick, the superstar of Andy Warhol's underground movies." This isn't to suggest you need The New York Times to label you the queen of something to be one, but it's just another example of how Sedgwick captured the era and why her legacy will continue to endure.