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Justin de Villeneuve

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Justin de Villeneuve
Justin de Villeneuve with Twiggy (1973)
Born
Nigel John Davies

NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Manager, businessman, photographer
Years activeca. 1966–present
Known forManager to Twiggy
Spouses
  • Jan de Villeneuve (born Griswold)
    (divorced)
  • (m. 2007; div. 2017)
Children2, including Poppy de Villeneuve

Justin de Villeneuve (born Nigel John Davies[1]) is a British businessman, known for being supermodel Twiggy's manager from 1966 to 1973.

De Villeneuve worked as a Mayfair hairdresser under the name Christian St. Forget,[2] before meeting Twiggy as a teenager. They became a couple, and as her career as a model took off, he became her manager and helped to make her famous.[3] Twiggy severed ties with him in 1973 and later downplayed his role in her success.[4]

De Villeneuve was married to model Jan de Villeneuve (born Janet Griswold) and has two daughters, illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve (born 5 June 1975) and photographer Poppy de Villeneuve (born 22 May 1979).

From 1975 to 1977, he co-managed (along with his partner, Bryan Morrison) the British proto-punk rock band Doctors of Madness, led by Richard Strange. In 1978, he became the manager of singer-songwriter Lynsey de Paul, during the period when she recorded her Tigers and Fireflies album, and in 1980 he also managed Clifford T. Ward, another UK singer-songwriter.[5]

De Villeneuve married designer Sue Timney at Chelsea Town Hall in 2007.[6] The marriage lasted for ten years.[7]

Early life

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Nigel John Davies was born in 1939 in London's East End, within a mile of the Bow Bells. His father was a bricklayer while his mother stayed at home. During the Blitz, he stayed with JB Priestley in Herefordshire. He left school early at 15 to box under the name Tiger Davies.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Ariel Leve and Robin Morgan (2013). 1963: The Year of the Revolution: How Youth Changed the World with Music, Art, and Fashion. Harper Collins. p. 42. ISBN 9780062120465.
  2. ^ Adrian Room (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins (fifth ed.). McFarland. p. 144. ISBN 9780786457632.
  3. ^ "The English Dream". Time. New York. 7 February 1972. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  4. ^ Saner, Emine (1 August 2006). "Summer of hate". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
  5. ^ An Affectionate Punch by Justin de Villeneuve, Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd, London ISBN 0-283-99346-4
  6. ^ Millard, Rosie (3 October 2012). "Interview: interior designer Sue Timney". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  7. ^ Maslen, Cherry (6 February 2019). "For sale: the OTT Kent home of designer Sue Timney, famed for her monochrome prints". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  8. ^ Husband, Stuart (May 2022). "The Ballad of Justin and Twiggy". The Rake. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
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